Associated Terminals donates 20 children’s bicycles to Sheriff’s Office to give to needy St. Bernard families

Associated Terminals, exclusive operator of the Port of St. Bernard’s marine facilities, has donated 20 children’s bicycles to the Sheriff’s Office to give to needy St. Bernard families for Christmas.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said recipients of the bicycles have been chosen.

Associated Terminals, one of the largest midstream stevedoring companies on the Mississippi River operates at sites including at Chalmette Slip in St. Bernard Parish, in Plaquemines Parish and in Reserve.

Sheriff Pohlmann met Dec. 19 with Zeljko Franks, Senior Vice-President at Associated Terminals to receive the girls’ and boys’ bicycles.

“We are happy to help brighten Christmas for the boys and girls of St. Bernard who will receive the bicycles donated by Associated Terminals,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Franks said the company has been able to donate 115 bicycles to four groups in St. Bernard recently to distribute to needy families. With Franks were company employees Jason Perez, operations manager, and Lou Fos, crane manager.

Employees at Associated Terminals donate money to help fund the bicycle project, said Franks, who added the company has had the Christmas bike project in several parishes for 10 years.

Associated Terminals formerly donated bicycles to the American Red Cross chapter in St. Bernard when sheriff’s official Joseph DiFatta was chairman of that group but for several years has donated the bikes to the Sheriff’s Office.