All Six Saratoga Elementary Schools Receive Bikes from Saratoga Shredders
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A groundbreaking initiative to get all kids on bikes in Saratoga Springs has sparked the creation of PE-based programming in city elementary schools.
By removing financial barriers and providing children with access to bicycles at an early age, this project aims to foster a lifelong passion for athletics and cultivate a generation of individuals who embrace the joy of physical activity and all the associated health benefits.
Saratoga Shredders, a 501c3 organization whose mission is to empower kids by getting them on mountain bikes, coordinated the funding for fleets of balance bikes for each of the six Saratoga Springs elementary schools. Balance bikes do not have pedals, which allows kids to learn balance, steering, and motor skills and practice independence. These bikes will be used in the PE programs for all kindergartners and first graders in the district.
Both Caroline Street Elementary and Greenfield Elementary have successfully run their PE programs this past Spring, and the other four elementary schools will start their Learn 2 Ride PE program in the Fall.
The equipment donation per school (valued at $6,000 for each school) includes 24 balance bikes, 24 pedal conversion kits, 24 helmets, and a learn-to-ride PE curriculum for each school. The bike package comes with a pedal conversion kit so that when the child is balancing well, they can progress to a pedal bike without having to ever be on training wheels.
Saratoga Shredders coordinated fundraising for this initiative with over 30 individual families and PTOs at Caroline Street, Geyser Road, Greenfield, Lake Ave, and Division Street Elementary schools, raising about $40,000 in 4 months. For Geyser Elementary, Saratoga Shredders donated the entire $6,000 to the school.
“By bringing these bikes and a thoughtful, fun curriculum into the elementary schools, we remove any pre-existing obstacles and create opportunities for kids to learn skills that they’ll carry throughout their lives,” said Anna Laloë, Saratoga Shredder’s Founder and Executive Director. “We’ve seen the impact that access to mountain bike programming has had on girls in Saratoga Springs, and know that we can affect the entire district and generations of kids with this initiative.”
The SSCSD Athletic Department and their team of PE teachers are supportive of a K-12 bike PE program, for which Saratoga Shredders will begin fundraising this year. If you or your business would like to become a donor of the program, visit: saratogashredders.com/bikes-in-schools.