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The gift of cycling l Community Cares
An East Valley cycling team is giving away nearly two dozen specialized bikes to some deserving students. FOX 10's Anita Roman has the story.
GILBERT, Ariz. - It's like riding a bicycle. Well that's how the saying goes, but some kids never had a chance to try.
"I always told my mom how I wanted a bike, and she was like, ‘Oh, but you don’t even know how to ride a bike, so what do you want a bike for,'" Jetssimar Sofhia Montilva said.
Jetssimer didn't just learn to ride a bike, she won a brand new specialized bicycle.
"I'm in the Avid program. I remember I was talking with my teacher, and they were doing announcements, and they were like, ‘Oh they’re giving out free bikes,' but you have to, like, submit an essay about how you ride a bike, what is important for it in society, are bikes helpful," she said.
It turns out Jetssimer's teacher nominated her.
"Through the nomination process, we reached out to several schools – Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek," Eric Cruz said. "Through those areas, we had administrators and program directors nominate students and from all of those, we selected 19 students to get bikes this year."
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Cruz is an assistant principal at Mesquite High School. He's also a member of the Fast Eddy Racing bicycle team. Fast Eddy Racing was founded with the purpose of supporting bicycling in the community with a focus on youth bicycling.
"As you look around the community, you don't see a lot of young kids out and about on bicycles running around," Cruz said. "Certainly, when I was a little kid, you knew where everyone was by how many bikes were on the front lawn. We wanted to push that a little bit more because it's been so important to so many of us and how we've grown up and matured. Bicycling has been a big part of that. It has important lessons, and it gives you freedom to kind to move further in your community."
"I was pretty excited. I've had a few bikes in the past, but this one is way better. It's way different than all the other ones I've ever had," Cyrus Udeiiofor said.
"We have been fortunate to be a part of a lot of accolades that he's worked hard to achieve, and this one definitely stands out. It was a surprise. We got a call from the principal that he was not only nominated, but selected," Ricardo Solis said.
Jetssimar Sofhia Montilva
Students were also fitted with helmets. They received safety tips and then were well on their way to what probably will be new and very big adventures, like the one Jetssimar plans to take.
"It makes me feel good. I know it makes my mom also proud," she said. "I think that's the best thing because my mom came to this country to give me opportunities and I should take them, and if I'm being a good citizen, I feel like that makes her proud and that makes me proud."