CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Teresa Welch and her nonprofit, Ride on Cannon Foundation, have given back to hundreds of children and their families who may struggle financially throughout the year. Welch founded the nonprofit to honor Cannon Hinnant, a 5-year-old North Carolina boy who was shot and killed while riding his bike in 2020.
For the past five years, she has transformed her Chesterfield home into Santa’s workshop.
She checks her Santa’s List, which includes 200 children who will receive Christmas gifts this year and may otherwise go without.
"We treat each kid like they are our own, so they get a big toy off their wishlist, a little toy off their wishlist, and I throw in some extras that I’d like them to have," Welch told CBS 6's Brendan King.
To date, she has given away 316 brand-new bikes with helmets to kids who attend her annual Easter egg hunt.
“Once that’s done and over with, we roll right into our back-to-school backpacks. Each kid receives a backpack with their school supply list. We fill their list not just with the basics—they also get a new outfit and new shoes for a boost of confidence for the first day of school,” Welch explained.
Most recently, she and her volunteers donated Thanksgiving dinner to 50 families.
Those efforts followed a spur-of-the-moment donation drive for Hurricane Helene victims in Southwest Virginia. She helped deliver several U-Hauls and trailers worth of supplies donated by the community outside the Chester Walmart.
CBS 6 will be donating to Welch and Ride on Cannon Foundation through our Month of Giving endeavors with help from our friends at Virginia Credit Union.
If you would like to donate or receive more information, there are three options:
Online:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RideonCannon01
Email:
teresa@rideoncannonfoundation.org
Fill out the contact form to inquire about other ways to donate:
https://rideoncannonfoundation.org/contact-us/
The CBS 6 Month of Giving made possible by Virginia Credit Union is underway. Watch for a new surprise every day in December on CBS 6 News. Have an idea about who we should surprise next, click here to email our team.
