Every December, as the Lowcountry fills with twinkling lights, cool breezes, and that unmistakable sense of holiday warmth, Jeff and Christine Hunt prepare for the season in a way unlike anyone else. For more than three decades, Jeff, a longtime Hilton Head Island Realtor with Dunes Real Estate, has poured his heart into giving away brand-new bicycles to local children who might otherwise never experience the thrill of owning one.
What began as a simple act of kindness has become one of the region’s most beloved Christmas traditions, growing each year through generosity, community partnership, and a deep commitment to helping kids feel seen, valued, and hopeful.
Jeff traces the origins of this annual project back to his own childhood. “I didn’t have a bike when I was a kid,” he said. “I actually built my own from parts we found at a junkyard.” The memory stayed with him. Years later, when a local organization asked whether he might be able to contribute a bicycle or two, he didn’t hesitate. “I bought about five bikes,” he said. “Next thing you know, five turned into 50, into 100, into 300.”
This season, the Hunts will donate 400 brand-new bicycles, each paired with a helmet, and each representing freedom, joy, and a spark of possibility.
For Jeff, the meaning behind these bicycles reaches far beyond childhood fun. “These kids don’t have a lot of choices,” he said. “To give them the freedom of having a bicycle is exciting for me.”
He and Christine realized early on that the need extended far past young children. “We buy bigger bikes for older kids now,” Jeff said. “Sometimes that bike means they can get to a job, or even college classes. You never know what the smallest things can do to change somebody’s life.”
Christine has seen firsthand the joy this work brings her husband. “He loves Christmas,” she said. “This is his favorite part of the season – he is all about the bikes. It makes him so happy.”
Jeff and Christine Hunt will donate 400 new bicycles to local children this Christmas, in what has become a yearly tradition for the couple.
Deep Well, Boys & Girls Clubs, and a Growing Need
The Holiday Bicycle Giveaway began through The Deep Well Project on the island. No one has witnessed the long-term impact more clearly than Patricia Kenworthy, volunteer with Deep Well.
“One of the most exciting and memorable holiday presents a school-aged kid can receive is a brand-new, shiny bike,” she said. “Since 2015, Jeff Hunt has donated an astonishing total of 1,100 bicycles and 1,100 helmets for our Santa Shop. His generosity now extends beyond the bridge to Bluffton and Ridgeland. Jeff is clearly one of Santa’s best helpers.”
From the initial impact at Deep Well, the word spread quickly. The Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton asked for support.
“When we first donated there, nobody had ever given them even one bicycle,” Jeff said. “And now we give them 100.”
Most recently, the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head reached out, bringing the 2025 total to an incredible 400 bikes.
Few know the impact better than Coach Gene C. King, social recreation director for the Boys & Girls Club of the Lowcountry on Hilton Head Island.
“Mr. Jeff plays such a huge role during Christmas time for so many kids in the Beaufort and Jasper County area,” Coach King said. “He has blessed children of all ages with bicycles. I’ve never seen anything like it. His love for the community – and especially for the kids – is impeccable. He even has an amazing relationship with the local Walmart here on Hilton Head, and they assist with building all the bicycles.”
Christine and Jeff Hunt will deliver bikes in early December to Deep Well and the Boys and Girls Club of Bluffton.
A Wave of Generosity
In Jasper County, where resources are limited and opportunities scarce, the impact of Jeff’s kindness can’t be overstated. Surenda Burrison, executive director of the Antioch Educational Center, shared how the Hunts’ generosity has transformed the holidays for hundreds of local families.
“Because of the extreme generosity of Dunes Real Estate – especially Jeff Hunt – literally hundreds of children from Jasper County’s low-income households have awakened on Christmas morning to find a shiny new bike and helmet under their tree,” Burrison said. “So many of these children often get nothing or just a very small token to recognize the holiday season. However, since Jeff stepped into the AEC organization, that scene has changed completely.”
For a county whose entire population is less than 30,000, Jeff’s contribution of 100 new bikes and helmets makes a huge difference in the quality of life for so many children. “A bike is not just a short-lived gift; it’s something they can use all year long,” Burrison said. “And the gratitude felt by our families lasts just as long.”
Jeff’s generosity has inspired many others, including colleagues across real estate brokerages.
Clay Oliver, Jeff’s colleague at Dunes Real Estate, contributes funding each year. “Jeff’s one of those people who had an immediate positive impact on me,” Oliver said. “He tries to have a positive impact on everyone – client, colleague, stranger. What he’s doing now is amazing. It’s not for show. That is the real Jeff.”
Oliver shared how Jeff influenced his own career. “Real estate is tough,” he said. “But Jeff’s always encouraging. We collaborate constantly. Instead of seeing each other as competition, we look at each other as colleagues. I know I can call him for business advice, life advice – anything.”
Over at Charter One Realty, fellow agent Richard MacDonald has watched Jeff’s efforts ripple outward in unexpected ways, recently inspiring his entire church.
“Jeff is a friend and fellow Realtor,” MacDonald said. “When Hilton Head Presbyterian learned about this generous bicycle donation, we thought it would be meaningful to complement it by contributing accessories – helmets, locks, bike pumps, things like that.”
The church created a display featuring a bike and helmet, inviting congregants to donate supplies and write heartfelt notes to accompany the bicycles. “The minute they announced it,” MacDonald said, “I leaned over to my wife and said, ‘You know who the generous donor is? That’s Jeff Hunt.’ He’s been doing this for years.”
Another Dunes Real Estate colleague, Jenny Filkins, summed it up perfectly: “As someone who has worked alongside Jeff for several years, I’ve seen that his generosity knows no limits. His leadership reminds us that success means nothing unless you’re lifting others along the way.”
Quiet Giving, Big Emotion
Jeff and Christine never deliver the bicycles personally. “It’s their day, not our day,” Jeff said. “I just pretend to be a worker bee helping load bikes.” But the emotions are strong. “Some parents are crying – they’re just so happy,” he said.
Christine understands. “We all remember something someone gave us when we were young,” she said. “Generosity stays with you, even 50 years later.”
Jeff hopes these gifts spark not only joy but also hope. He encourages others to reach out to their church or favorite charity. “There’s always somebody less fortunate,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a bicycle. It can be a set of clothes or a toy. The smallest thing can change the trajectory of someone’s life.”
One of Jeff’s favorite possessions is a framed print from a former assistant. It depicts a little boy repairing his bicycle with the caption, “Once upon a time there was a boy who really loved bicycles. That was me. The end.”
Christine laughed. “That is Jeff to a T.”
This Christmas, because of Jeff and Christine’s dedication – and because of an entire community stepping forward in support – 400 children across Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Jasper County will wake up to the freedom of their very own bicycle. It is a gift wrapped not in paper, but in kindness, community, and the true spirit of the season – rolling forward, one joyful child at a time.
