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

Associated Terminals of Chalmette donated 20 bicycles to the Sheriff’s Office to give to needy children for Christmas. Shown with the bikes, from left, are Jason Perez, operations manager at Associated Terminals; Sheriff James Pohlmann and Zeljko Franks, Senior Vice-President.

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, the largest midstream stevedoring company 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, and Jason Perez, its operations manager, to receive the girls’ and boys’ bicycles.

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

Franks said the company, which has donated bicycles to the Sheriff’s for a number of years to help the needy, has also able to donate bicycles to several other groups in St. Bernard, including the Battered Women’s Shelter and The Arc program for intellectually challenged adults.

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 since 2002.