One hundred bikes and helmets lined the Chula Vista Elementary School District Education and Support Center Dec. 14 at CVESD’s 13th annual Bicycle Distribution event that allows local families to take home a new bike for the holidays.
“It brings people together and they’re able to share the joy of the season… it was very fulfilling for everyone,” CVESD Project Manager Melissa Minas said.
CVESD receives the bicycles and helmets from the Bikes for Kids Foundation, an organization that focuses on providing Title 1 students, or students from low-income families, with bicycles, helmets, character building books and classroom instruction in an effort to break the cycle of systemic generational poverty in America.
Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides financial assistance to local educational agencies for children from low-income families to ensure children can meet state academic standards, according to the National Center for Education.
As of 2016, the CVESD student poverty rate was 15.5 percent, according to NCE statistics. Minas said each CVESD school was told how many bicycles would be allocated for their students, and from there the administration selected students to receive a bicycle and helmet based on need.
“Having a bicycle is very empowering to know that you do have some control of where you’re going… kind of breaking free from what’s normal,” Minas said. She added that having a bicycle is a symbol of independence.
Some parents picked up the bicycle for their child alone to give it to them later as a holiday gift, while others brought their child with them to pick it up. Minas said the San Diego Bicycle Coalition provided bicycle safety education to children who did attend the distribution event.
“It’s a snapshot of our childhood, there’s happy memories associated with it,” Minas said.
CVESD Director of Communications and Community Development Anthony Millican said the event aligns with CVESD’s health and wellness initiative by encouraging kids to be outside and active, rather than being inside playing video games.
