The NASCAR Foundation and All Kids Bike discussed Friday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum the organizations’ partnership valued at a quarter of a million dollars that will benefit 50 schools the Los Angeles Unified School District by bringing Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride programs.
The programs will be used to help promote cycling, foster overall health and give the children in these programs the chance to “experience the joy of two wheels.” All 50 schools will receive a fleet of 24 Strider Balance Bikes, pedal-conversion kits, helmets, a teacher instruction bike and an eight-lesson curriculum, created for children to learn to ride bikes.
It was fitting the LA Coliseum served as the backdrop Friday, only two days before the first ever Clash at the Coliseum held inside the football stadium. Later on Friday, the two organizations and driver Ross Chastain will include a bike delivery and demonstration at John W. Mack Elementary School, along with a giveaway for two students to receive tickets for Saturday’s Clash at the Coliseum qualifying day.
“The NASCAR Foundation is excited to collaborate for the first time with All Kids Bike,” NASCAR Foundation chairman Mike Helton said in a press release. “Joining forces with programs that have core values similar with our own is invaluable. The Los Angeles market is home to many passionate NASCAR fans and a huge part of our greater racing community. It will be an incredible opportunity to give back and show our commitment to this area.”
All Kids Bike is a national movement led by the Strider Education Foundation with a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class. Their Kindergarten PE Program aims to develop spatial awareness, promote confidence, along with mobility, safety and environmental awareness in young children through learning the skills to ride a bike. All Kids Bike has already touched the lives of students in more than 450 different schools across the United States. Through its collaboration with The NASCAR Foundation, the program will now have the opportunity to touch 60,000 young lives, all located in the LA Unified School District.
“We’re excited about this partnership with The NASCAR Foundation,” All Kids Bike founder and board member Ryan McFarland said. “Both organizations seek to improve the lives of children by increasing their health, but there’s the added bonus here of accomplishing that goal by introducing a child to their first vehicle, a bicycle. And as seen time and again, that first vehicle becomes much more than just a bicycle in the imagination of a child, often becoming a fire truck, an airplane or, quite often, a race car. It seems so fitting for us to make this announcement with a speedway as the backdrop.”
Said Los Angeles Unified chief academic officer Alison Yoshimoto-Towery: “The NASCAR Foundation’s donation to All Kids Bike is helping thousands of Los Angeles students get physically fit, become mentally strong and build confidence in life. With the 2028 Olympics coming to Los Angeles, I’d like to see every Kindergartener learn to ride a bicycle through the amazing All Kids Bike program to foster community and global citizenry.”