Avi Morrow, an anonymous Montreal philanthropist known as Bikeman, died on Saturday at the age of 93.
Morrow was a renowned philanthropist and Order of Canada member.
He earned his nickname by giving away hundreds of new bicycles, helmets, and locks to the city’s less fortunate through Sun Youth.
“He was a great man,” said Sid Stevens, a co-founder of Sun Youth. “In Jewish, you’d call him a mensch. He was very passionate, very understanding, very supportive. He always felt greatly about helping others.”
Morrow amassed his wealth by founding Avmor, a business providing environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions, in 1948.
Beyond Sun Youth, he supported several other charitable causes.
Higher education and art held particular importance to him.
Morrow commissioned hundreds of pieces of art from local artists and even converted Avmor’s previous company headquarters in Old Montreal into an art museum.
He also donated to McGill, Concordia, and the University of Ottawa.
Morrow felt that remaining anonymous was important in his charitable efforts.
“He always said, ‘When you give, it’s from the unknown to the unknown and true happiness is always found in giving and when you give, you receive,’” Stevens said.
“He instilled that among everybody.”
