Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542841
Yamaha Grant Funds Strider Bikes Donation for Vegas Kindergarten PE O ne of the less-publicized but still important programs Ya- maha leads is its Outdoor Access Initiative. Essentially, its goal is to promote the safe, responsible use of off-highway vehicles and to protect appropriate, sustain- able access to public lands. But it also helps fund donations of Strider bikes for kindergarten physical education (PE) classes around the country through the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Learn-to-Ride program that began in 2018. Its mission: Give every child in America the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike in school. Yamaha provides grants each year of $10,000-15,000 per school for the donations and tries to tie them to schools that are nearby races or other events running concurrently. Its latest presentation was at the Earl N. Jenkins Elementary School, and it was held in conjunction with the annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades) show in Las Vegas. (Not all schools get the bikes donated; many schools hold fundraisers or simply have the budget to pur - chase bikes outright.) While Earl Jenkins Elementary has ben- efited from mini-training camps by the Raiders pro football team and Golden Knights ice hockey team, the All Kids Bike program is geared toward kindergarten- ers. After all, the earlier kids start on two wheels, the more likely they'll foster a lifelong passion for bikes—and, possibly, motorcycles. The 24 Strider bal- ance bikes presented stay with the school for future kindergar- ten PE classes (along with hel- mets, rolling storage racks, and kits to convert to pedal power as the kids progress). John Long, the Physical Edu- cation Specialist at the school, was all-in, as riding mountain bikes is something he and his own kids are passionate about. "This is beyond generous and what I love so much about this is [that it's] just going to go on year after year after year after year, and we're going to be known for such a beautiful program." There are several All Kids Bike National Ambassadors who should be familiar to motorcycle racing enthusiasts, such as JD Beach, Kristen Beat, Mark Blackwell, Josh Hayes, Troy Lee, Johnny Lewis, Jared Mees, Roland Sands, Andrew Short and Cody Webb. For more informa - tion, visit www.allkidsbike.org. Mark Kariya WIND IN THE P34 Earl Jenkins Elementary kindergarteners, staff and Yamaha personnel used the school's cafeteria for the All Kids Bike presentation.