Dumbarton Elementary School kindergartners celebrate bike donation
Dumbarton Elementary School kindergartners got an exciting surprise May 15, when a fleet of 24 Strider balance-to-pedal bikes was revealed in a ceremony on the school playground.
After the unveiling, kindergarteners enjoyed their first rides on the school’s new bikes, which were donated by the HDR Foundation in conjunction with the All Kids Bike program.
A national nonprofit with a mission to teach every child in America to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class, All Kids Bike provides a ready-to-teach program that includes a curriculum with lesson plans, teacher training and certification, games and activities, pedal conversion kits, student helmets, an instructor bike, two rolling storage racks, and access to a resource portal – in addition to the fleet of bikes.
Representatives from HDR, an engineering and architecture firm with offices in Glen Allen and across the U.S., spoke at the kickoff event prior to the bike reveal. With this year's gift of $198,000 to 22 U.S. schools, the HDC Foundation’s total support of the All Kids Bike Program has surpassed $1 million during the past four school years.
Organizers hope that kindergartners at Dumbarton, a Title 1 school (meaning that it receives federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to support low-income students) now will join thousands of their peers nationwide in improving coordination, building confidence, and experiencing the joys of biking – all while developing essential life skills.
