Fayetteville, N.C. — A Fayetteville man known for giving away bicycles to thousands of children for more than two decades died Monday morning after a long illness, his wife said.

Moses Mathis, 76, spent 22 years collecting bicycles from the community and then fixing them up to distribute at Christmas to children whose families could not afford them.

"I love the kids," he said in December. "I love the smiles on their faces."

In 2006, Mathis was honored by President George W. Bush with the President's Call to Service Award, which recognizes those who have a minimum of 4,000 hours of lifetime service.

Mathis' sisters – Revs. Linda Williams and Irene Bell – said helping others gave their brother joy.

"He just loved doing things for other people," Williams said. "He was just unique. We love all our brothers, but there just wasn't quite anybody like Moses."

"Seeing a little tot get on a little bike and say, 'it's mine,' you know, that was his work," said Rev. Irene Bell.

Mathis' wife of more than 45 years, Ann Mathis, said her husband had been in the hospital in recent months and recently returned home under hospice care. He had two children and six grandchildren.

"He meant everything to me," Ann Mathis said.

She said she plans to continue the work her husband started.

"He just always had other people at heart," Williams said. "That's just who he was."

HIS LEGACY WILL LIVE ON!!!!

Fayetteville, N.C. — Five months after his death, the tradition of Fayetteville's "Bicycle Man" continued on Saturday as his family helped distribute bikes to hundreds of Fayetteville-area children in need.

Moses Mathis, who died in July at age 76 after a long struggle with heart problems, spent more than two decades living for days like Saturday, when he would open up his warehouse and let children from low-income families pick out a bike as an early Christmas present.

His ministry continued on without him Saturday. Ann Mathis, Moses' wife of 46 years, promised him before his death that it would.

"I am sure that he is with me. At least his spirit is here with me," Mathis said.

Christmas came early for seven-year-old Vanessa Cortez-Sanchez. she received her first bike.

"It has training wheels and my favorite character," exclaimed Cortez-Sanchez.

Organizers gave away 1,100 bikes on Saturday, but Mathis said she has one goal for the ministry.

"My prayer is to make it bigger and better," she said. "Not to take anything away from Moses, he made it big. I just want to make it better."

The Bicycle Man program has been donating bikes to children since 1990.