Vern White, a resident of Milan, Michigan, has earned the affectionate nickname "The Milan Bike Guy" for his significant volunteer efforts in refurbishing and donating bicycles to those in need.

Working from his home tool shop in Mill Race Shores, often with his wife Leslie, Vern takes in donated bikes. He assesses and repairs them, using parts from bikes too costly to fully rebuild. In one summer alone, he fixed up over 117 donated bicycles for area kids and tuned countless personal bikes. As of August 2024, it was reported that he and Leslie had successfully refurbished over 500 bikes.

His initiative started three years prior to August 2024, after he had bariatric surgery and a knee replacement, which prevented him from riding his own bicycle. Wanting a productive outlet for his love of biking and a way to give back, he advertised to fix and give away kids' bikes on a local Facebook page, and the project "exploded from there."

Vern's work has had a far-reaching impact. He has:

• Donated bikes to people in Lansing, Detroit, and Toledo.

• Fixed up bikes for churches to give to families during holidays.

• Provided bikes to refugee families who don't have their driver's license.

• Customized tricycles and modified bikes for riders with disabilities, including children with cerebral palsy and autism, with a goal of creating a stabilizing system for adaptive riding.

Vern's devotion is a labor of love; he has been self-employed for most of his life and is now retired. He previously operated a daycare with his wife and, at one point, built and sold custom hunting rifles from the same shed where he now repairs bikes. He and his wife have relied on donated funds and parts, and they plan to apply for non-profit status under the name White Rock Foundation to continue their mission as long as there is a need.

He has also participated in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer, riding hundreds of miles and raising thousands of dollars over multiple years as part of his team, which is named "Milan Bike Guy." His dedication to his community has led one person to compare him to "this generation's Mr. Rogers."