INDIANAPOLIS ─ July 2, 2015 ─ More than 1,000 Indianapolis Public School students have been added to an innovative health and fitness program for 2015, as a result of a generous grant from The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). The $10,000 grant supports the expansion of youth-focused nonprofit Nine13sports’s Kids Riding Bikes program to five IPS schools for the first time.
“It is an incredible honor to receive a grant from The Indianapolis Foundation and CICF — a leading force for good in our city — and be able to deliver our bicycle programs to more youth in Central Indiana,” said Tom Hanley, executive director of Nine13sports. “These dollars mean we will have more than 5,000 interactions with IPS students in schools that will be brand new partners to Nine13sports.”
The multi-week program enables Central Indiana youth to explore bicycling as a fun, healthy activity, as well as give them the skills and confidence they need to continue bicycling after the program ends.
“Bicycling is a staple of our growing Indianapolis infrastructure,” said Brian Payne, President and CEO of The Indianapolis Foundation and CICF. “We want to encourage bicycling among the next generation so it can enjoy the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, Indiana Pacers Bikeshare, and the many hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes across Marion County.”
Nine13sports and CICF are committed to helping Central Indiana youth develop a strong sense of teamwork and self-confidence, in addition to helping them learn healthy habits that will serve them for years to come.
Together, CICF and Nine13sports are working to lower Marion County’s above-average obesity rate and enable the Indianapolis community to take advantage of the growing bicycling culture in the city.
“The Kids Riding Bikes program not only creates a positive impact on youth fitness, it also allows us to spread the idea that the bicycle is one of the best ways to explore our urban setting,” Payne said.
About Nine13sports:
Nine13sports is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes health, wellness, and exercise for local youth between the ages of 8 and 18 through our Kids Riding Bikes℠ programs. We have created a unique initiative in which we have integrated the traditional bicycle with technology to provide a turnkey product for youth programs, schools, and other community organizations. In addition to individual betterment of health and fitness, our programs promote community, teamwork, and mutual respect for one another designed to foster a lasting impact. For additional information please visit www.nine13sports.org or email info@nine13sports.org.