This was just one of the students never been on a bike before; it was jubilant to see her enthusiasm and wonder as she rode a bike for the first time!
Our Kids Riding Bikes programming for the year 2016 kicked off this week at Central Catholic School on the south side of Indianapolis. Although we had an enjoyable, and much-needed holiday break, it felt good to get back to what we do best – and that’s getting kids on bikes! Central Catholic is the second Archdiocese school to instill our program in their physical education curriculum, with the previous one being St. Philip Neri on the east side of Indianapolis. Yesterday was a special day for our team as we had several students who had never experienced the joys of riding a bike and we we’re able to provide them with that treasured childhood experience. Those are special moments for our staff and ones that make what we do profoundly rewarding.
Over the course of the next four weeks, the upwards of 200 students that will be on our bikes will be learning about the benefits of health and fitness, why it’s fundamental to wear a helmet at all times, and the numerous advantages that the bicycle presents, especially in terms of their lifestyle and overall health. We’ll be working with students from 1st grade all the way up to 8th grade throughout the course of our time at the school.
The opportunity to deliver our Kids Riding Bikes programming to Central Catholic is attributed to our relationship with the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent Health. For more information on the hospital and our relationship with them, which includes the lasting imprint that they’re making on thousands of Central Indiana youth, check out our feature of them for our Partner Appreciation Day back in November.