ELKHART — To promote physical health in the youth of Elkhart County, new bicycles were given to children through a collaborative initiative.
The initiative includes Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition (NIHHC), Crossroads United Way serving Elkhart, LaGrange, & Noble Counties, and Cummins Inc.
According to information provided by NIHHC, Cummins team members came together for a special bike build day with Crossroads United Way, making 80 children’s bikes to distribute to the community. Volunteers not only put all of the bikes together, but also attached helmets, locks and notes to each bike.
“We had such a fun day building bikes!” said Veronica Martin, Cummins’ custom order management specialist, who helped coordinate the bike build. “Our goal was to distribute these bikes to children who might not be able to get a bike due to financial barriers, while also promoting an active lifestyle.”
With that in mind, Crossroads United Way considered NIHHC’s work in the community and knew that the bikes would have a positive impact on the children in their Healthy Hearts program, which aims to prevent childhood obesity.
“We thought NIHHC would be a great fit as a recipient, with their focus on children and families and health through programs like Healthy Hearts,” said Jill Yoder, director of community engagement and volunteerism at Crossroads United Way.
The Healthy Hearts program is a health education and obesity prevention program that teaches about the heart and the importance of healthy food choices and physical activity. The program is facilitated among students in fourth through sixth grades in several Elkhart County schools.
As an incentive for their participation, returning assignments, and discussing the topics they learn in class with their families, the students receive “Healthy Bucks,” which are paper bills they can use at the end of the program to “purchase” or claim prizes.
Recently, students from Pinewood Elementary School and Roosevelt STEAM Academy, both in Elkhart, were lucky enough to have new bikes as part of the prizes available, the release stated.
Students receiving bikes were both overjoyed and in shock. “I’ve never had a bike before,” said one fifth grader at Roosevelt. “I am so excited to be able to ride a bike at home!”
Another student from Pinewood decorated an envelope with a bike and wrote a thank you note, saying, “I’ve never been so thankful. It is a great gift. I truly love it.”
Another student expressed his favorite part of his bike and the class. “I really like the wheel frame, it is blue, it really looks good that way,” he wrote. “Also, one of my favorite parts of Healthy Hearts is that they gave out one of the best smoothies I have ever had. Now it is my drink to go.” In the smoothie activity, students learn how to make a drink made of fruit and milk without adding sugar, as a substitute to sugary drinks. They’re also able to sample the drink.
The Roosevelt physical education teacher, Chad O’Brien, also appreciated the generous bike donation and the benefit he saw for students who participated in the health education program — something schools currently do not provide — complementing the PE class. Students who won the bikes also took responsibility for doing their assignments, he said.
Schools have opened their doors to Healthy Hearts since 2012 because of the high need for health education among under-resourced students and NIHHC’s unique culturally appropriate curriculum, the release stated.
“Providing children in Healthy Hearts with bikes is a perfect example of empowering students with the knowledge and tools needed to make healthier decisions and build healthy habits like exercise,” said Liliana Quintero, NIHHC executive director.
Not only does a bike connect what students learn with a healthy lifestyle at home — and make it fun — but it gives them access to that activity.
That is what Quintero said makes the difference. “We can use this generous donation to make exercise important for our youth. Bike riding is a lifelong habit, but it requires a bike — something many of us take for granted.”
NIHHC is grateful for the partnership with Crossroads United Way and Cummins. “We invite more organizations to join our efforts to make a difference in the health of our future generations,” Quintero said. “The earlier we can create healthy habits, the more healthy and happy adults there will be.”
Coming together to improve children’s health is a true community initiative that has a real, long-term impact. Martin at Cummins agrees, “I am so glad the bikes will be put to good use!”