Source: Greensboro News & Record
Weeks before, all of the kids in attendance from Guilford County Schools wrote an essay about what they want to be when they grow up based on the prompt “Kindness Matters.” They were told by their teachers that a select number who wrote exceptional essays would win new bikes.
As the bleachers began to fill, music blasted through the gym and kids danced and squealed as they waited to see if their name would be called as one of the few lucky recipients.
Unbeknownst to the kids, however, every one of them was a winner. The foundation would be giving away more than 1,800 brand-new bikes with helmets.
As the event got underway, Brian Mackin, athletics director for UNCG, one of the sponsors for the foundation, spoke briefly.
“You’ve got to get an education,” Makin said. “One day I would love for all of you to be students at UNCG.”
Mackin would also read the first winning essay, written by Leighton Carlson who attends Kirkman Park Elementary.
“I want to become a lawyer because I want people to have justice,” Mackin read from Leighton’s essay. “I want to be a lawyer because I love helping people.”
Bob Krumroy, the president of the Bikes for Kids Foundation, brought up several students from UNCG to tell the kids about the importance of education and talk about future career paths they could pursue.
Five more sponsors would also take the podium to read five more essay and announce five more winners.
However, there seemed to be a problem: The kids writing the six winning essays had been awarded their bikes — but there were still two bikes left on the gym floor.
The situation prompted cheers of “one more bike!” from the kids.
Krumroy, sponsors of the Bikes for Kids Foundation in attendance, and superintendent of Guilford County Schools, Whitney Oakley, formed an impromptu huddle to discuss how to “fix” the issue.
“All right, here’s what they said: Instead of giving two bikes away, they said, ‘Bob, why don’t we give everybody a bike?” Krumroy said as the room erupted. “Every single person gets a bike!”
Damian Gonzalez who attends McNair Elementary, said he was very glad to get a new bike.
“I have one, but the tires are not working,” Gonzalez said. “Every time I put air in the tires they don’t work.”
He said he would ride his new bike a lot.
“I’m probably going to do tricks down the hill,” Gonzalez said.
All of the children in at the ceremony go to title 1 schools in Guilford County. Title 1 schools are schools given more federal aid due to having higher concentrated levels of poverty.
Krumroy said that the Bikes for Kids Foundation was supported entirely by sponsors and every dollar goes toward purchasing bikes for improvised children.
Krumroy also said in total the Bikes for Kids Foundation will spend $238,000 this year on children attending Guilford County Schools.
“It’s the biggest bike give away we’ve ever done on a single city,” Krumroy said.
Third grader Jahmia Williamson who attends Washington Elementary was one of the original essay winners who won a bike and said she also had a bike at home with a flat tire.
“My tire flat and it can’t pump back up,” Williamson said.
She said she was going to ride her new bike “every day.”