Huntington Beach elementary school receives 24-bike donation
Mike Clark had just finished up a BMX bike riding show at College View Elementary School last month when opportunity knocked.
The Huntington Beach resident, a professional BMX rider, just needed someone to open the gate so he could exit the campus. College View Principal Elaine Burney obliged.
“We were leaving the show and the principal came out to unlock the gate,” Clark said. “I was like, ‘Have you ever heard of All Kids Bike?’ … It’s just crazy how the universe aligns.”
Clark is an ambassador for the program, and that conversation led to 24 new Strider balance bicycles for College View kindergarten students. They were delivered Thursday morning to the Ocean View School District school, through a partnership with the nonprofit All Kids Bike and International Motorcycle Shows Outdoors.
IMS Outdoors has a show this weekend at the Orange County Fairgrounds, the last of eight tour stops across the country. At each tour stop, it is donating $5,000 worth of Strider bikes to a local school.
College View Elementary was the lucky school in this region.
The bicycles, constructed without pedals at first — similar to a motorcycle — so the students can first learn balance, will now be part of College View’s kindergarten physical education curriculum. Teachers have received training.
“Especially this year, the kindergartners haven’t left their homes,” College View kindergarten teacher Lisa Banuelos said. “They haven’t had any experience with anything. So, this is just huge. It’s a dream come true.”
Holly Hamasaki, another kindergarten teacher at the school, said many of her students live in places where they might not be able to ride bicycles, such as apartment buildings.
“They might not have access to bikes, so that was really important, but it will also be a great part of our PE program,” Hamasaki said. “I’m excited. The program was really easy to learn, so we’re excited to get started.”
Clark did tricks on a bike Thursday for the students, before the white Strider bikes were brought into the kindergarten playground area by a group of women on motorcycles led by Black Girls Ride founder Porsche Taylor.
Strider founder Ryan McFarland, who formed All Kids Bike in 2018, also attended Thursday’s delivery. More than three million Strider bikes have been sold worldwide.
He said All Kids Bike’s mission is to have every child on a bicycle in kindergarten PE class.
“Bicycle participation with American youth is on a steady decline, at the same time that screen time is at record highs and childhood obesity is at record highs,” McFarland said. “You’ve got kids leading more sedentary lives, and kids are spending over seven hours a day on screens, so this really is a drive to try and get them motivated to get outside, find that active lifestyle and learn a life skill.”
IMS spokesman Robert Pandya said learning that balance and affinity for two-wheel riding at a young age is important. The IMS Outdoors shows are designed for beginners and motorcycle enthusiasts alike.
“The reality is that not everybody’s going to get into motorcycling,” Pandya said. “But if you don’t get exposed to balance on life on two wheels, you don’t really even have that option. That’s really an important part of our industry.
“These kids, in 10 years and they’re driving, they’re going to be more aware of bicycles out on the road because they know how to ride. They’re going to become city council members and they’re going to vote for bicycle lanes, because it’s just part of their life. It’s a really important program.”
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