Cheers and excitement could be heard down the halls of Barrett Elementary School as 29 third grade students received a brand-new, shiny, bells-and-whistles bike and helmet just as the school year was ending. Made possible by donations from the Denver Chapter of Bikes for Kids and Love, Sweat and Gears, the students also received critical bike riding safety tips.
This was the second year that the Denver Chapter of Bikes for Kids generously donated brand-new bicycles to DPS students. When asked why he is passionate about this work, Chapter President Tim Kooser shared, “I want to serve and give back to those less fortunate. Many needy families with children have little income for things like bikes. Bills, food and clothing are priority. For some, this is their first bike ever. If you can remember your first bike or that first ride in the spring after a long cold winter, it’s about freedom and independence.”
Love, Sweat and Gears partnered with Bikes for Kids to fund many of the donated bikes donated to the Barrett students. Love, Sweat and Gears riders Julie and Ann rode sea to shining sea to raise money to purchase the bikes for the students, completing the incredible journey in 6 days, 18 hours and 55 minutes. The picture below shows their route. The students were amazed and inspired at the challenge these two women faced.
When the floor opened up for questions, students’ hands popped up rapidly to ask detailed questions about their trip, such as: What did you eat? Where did you sleep? Did you get lost? Julie and Ann answered each question with big smiles on their face.
Barrett Elementary is a small neighborhood school with more than 92% of the students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. With only one class per grade level, Barrett was the perfect fit for the Bikes for Kids organization since they wanted to make certain every 3rd grader received a new bike.
Prior to the assembly, each student was tasked with writing a creative essay about saving the world. The students thought critically about some of the challenges they are faced with in their worlds, like homelessness, cancer, violence and crime. This opportunity was a chance for the students to envision having the “perfect world” and also gave them a chance to think of ways that they could become a part of the solution for the challenges they named. Erica Yates, the teacher of these students shared, “this project was exciting because the students got to think about ways they can save the world. Because of it, their own personal worlds are now changing.”
A very special thank you to Bikes for Kids and Love, Sweat and Gear for your generous donation to Barrett Elementary! The smiles, cheers and jumps for joy exemplified the significance of your gift to these students. We are all DPS.
