MOOSE JAW -- While some businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19, others are thriving.

Bryan Van Tassel and his employees at Boh’s Cycle and Sporting Goods in Moose Jaw can’t build bikes fast enough.

“We’ve bought a bunch of bikes, our repairs are over the top, we’re down here a couple of nights a week building bikes just to keep up to the demand,” Van Tassel said.

Boh’s Cycle celebrated its 30th anniversary at the beginning of April and that month turned out to be the busiest Van Tassel has ever seen.

May is also tracking to surpass that record high.

“We started off ordering about 250 bikes and when I saw all this stuff going down, we ordered another 150 bikes, which is early to do that,” Van Tassel said.

Van Tassel believes we’re in a renaissance era for bikes with people searching for more activities that provide opportunities to physical distance.

“As a bike store owner and avid cyclist, I really hope this changes the way we do things,” he said. “The bicycle is a wonderful thing for all of us.”

Other businesses in Moose Jaw haven’t been as fortunate, but that’s where the Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw steps in.

The organization partnered with Knight Ford Lincoln to purchase $10,000 worth of gift cards from local businesses which are now being auctioned off online.

“They were very touched that we were coming in person to do it,” Kinsmen Club director Cory Olafson said. “Some of these guys have been open, some have been close, so it’s different degrees of business that they’re doing, but it’s been very well received so far.”

The funds raised from the auction will be donated to the Moose Jaw Food Bank, Hunger in Moose Jaw and the Transition House.

The City of Moose Jaw is also providing assistance to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, launching the Moose Jaw Small Business Support Program to provide a $500 tax credit.