Summer sendoff includes new bikes for Traylor Academy second-graders
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DENVER — Gael Rodriguez-Vasquez’s summer plans got better last week after he received his first ever bike. Gael was one of the 46 second-graders at Traylor Academy to receive a bike from Wish For Wheels, a nonprofit dedicated to gifting bicycles to kids.
Wish For Wheels first donated bikes to Traylor Academy students in 2020 to encourage kids to get outside following the COVID-19 lockdown. At that time, the nonprofit arranged for a school-wide bike and scooter donation for every student.
“I was excited because I got a new bike, it was great! And so fun!” said Rodriguez-Vasquez, 8, whose bike and helmet and bike were both blue, like the rest of his class.
Arizzabell Herrera, 8, said she is ready to have fun with her bike this summer and is excited to feel the wind in her hair.
Wish For Wheels donates from a list of Title 1 schools, which are federally-designated as having high rates of student poverty, throughout Colorado and focuses on distributing bikes in those communities, she said.
“I’m going to be doing some tricks I know on my bike, I can stand up on my bike and ride with one hand,” said Herrera, who received a bike on Monday afternoon.
Wish For Wheels donated 50 Huffy bikes costing $100 each to the school, and volunteers assembled them for the students. Since its founding in 2004, the organization has donated 25,000 bikes across the country.
Marissa Schubert, a Bike Build Specialist with Wish For Wheels, brought the bikes to the school.
“To give [these kids] something new and to see their faces light up is worth it,” said Schubert.
Dustin Olde, who volunteered with NAPA Business Development Group, one of the eight automotive companies that sponsored the giveaway, said building the bikes for the students reminded him of his daughters' first bikes.
“I love giving back, and seeing the smiles on kid's faces is awesome,” said Olde.
Emmanuel Borjon, 8, said this wasn’t his first bike but that he was happy to get a new one because his previous one, unfortunately, had one of its tires pop.
“I would rate this day at ten-point-thousand-900 out of ten! Because I need a new bike. My old one, the wheel popped, and this [bike] is going to make me happier because it's bigger!” said Borjon.
Teale Masciantonio, the school librarian who organized the giveaway, said students at Title I schools experience some of the highest levels of poverty and adversity.
The Colorado Department of Education qualifies schools as Title I if 75% or more of the students are considered low-income and receive Title I funds.
“To be here with these kids who so many could really use the connection, the community, with the bicycles, its extremely important,” said Masciantonio.
Of the 308 students at Traylor Academy, 76% receive free and reduced lunch and are deemed low-income. For all students at Traylor, breakfast is free every day.
Lindsey Ford is multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. Lindseyford@rmpbs.org
“I really wanted our kiddos in second grade to receive bikes!” she said.
In 2023, Traylor Academy implemented mental health, social-emotional lessons, and support in each classroom. The school now has a full-time psychologist, a three-day-a-week social worker, a full-time restorative practice coordinator, two full-time special educators, and increased para-support for teachers.
Maciantonio said some of her favorite memories as a kid were riding her bike as a child, so to see the second graders find that same joy she had as a child, was memorable.
“Riding my bike to and from school myself and lining up our bicycles like kids on the bike rack, it’s a sense of community,” she said.