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Ponderosa second graders discover pedal power, thanks to Wish for Wheels
Damon Smith’s eyes lit up above the mask he was wearing as he looked at his brand new bicycle.
“It looks cool!” he exclaimed.
Smith was one of 110 Ponderosa Elementary second graders who received a new two-wheeler on May 28, thanks to a nonprofit organization called “Wish for Wheels.” The group partners with local businesses to provide new bikes and helmets to children in lower income communities. The goal is to help children discover the joy of bike riding and the benefits of a healthy activity, something that’s especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now more than ever, bikes are so important,” said Brad Appel, executive director of Wish for Wheels. “Kids are at home, they’re in front of screens more than they’ve ever been. We’ve got to get them out, get them moving.”
Damon’s mother, Dominique Mathews, wholeheartedly agrees with that sentiment.
“With the kids not being in school, they don’t get the activities they’re used to,” she said. “They’re not playing at recess, having P.E. class, so having a bike to ride during the summer is a huge win.”
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Typically, Wish for Wheels and volunteers from the businesses sponsoring the bikes visit schools to help distribute the bicycles. But because of coronavirus restrictions, Ponderosa’s second grade teachers and other school and district employees staffed the socially distanced, drive-through distribution in the Ponderosa parking lot. They joyfully greeted the students they hadn’t seen in person in a couple of months, as they adjusted helmets and loaded up bikes. Principal Chad Gerity said the event was the perfect way to kick off summer break.
“With everything going on, I can’t think of a better way to end the school year,” Gerity said, as he helped load bikes into car trunks and back seats. “Just seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and on the faces of the parents was wonderful. I’m really excited to see kids riding through the neighborhood.”
For more information about Wish for Wheels, visit www.wishforwheels.com.
Posted 6/1/2020.