Happy Trails

On Saturday mornings in 1954, I would wake up watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at their Double R Bar Ranch with Bullet the dog and Roy’s horse, Trigger.

I was excited at the announcement during a commercial about the Roy Rogers Family contest. Entering the contest was simple you just had to complete the Following Phrase

“My Family’s Favorite Post Cereal is __________Because _________” .

The answer I submitted was Grape Nut Flakes because it’s packed full of goodness. The 1st prize was 400 Columbia bikes, 2nd prize was 200 Bell + Howell cameras and projectors, and the 3rd prize was 16 toy Jeeps.

In June of 1954 the winners of the contest would be sent a notice. I waited each day for the mailman to arrive and finally received a letter from General Foods that I had won 1st Prize, A Columbia bike!

I could not be more excited. Approximately a month later a truck pulled up in front of our Bronx tenement building and a large box was unloaded. Neighbors were curious about what was being delivered and to whom. My Mom signed for the box since I was only seven year old at the time. The building Super helped me bring the box to the basement of the building and over the next few days together we assembled the bike.

The amazing experience of riding the bike around the neighborhood and local parks was short lived. I made the mistake of not locking the bike with a chain when I left it in the basement and it was stolen.

My happy trails had come to an end.