All kids on bikes: all six Saratoga elementary schools receive bikes from Saratoga Shredders
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — 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 visionary 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.”
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, please visit: www.saratogashredders.com/bikes-in-schools.
ABOUT SARATOGA SHREDDERS
Saratoga Shredders runs programming for kids on bikes in the Spring and Fall, in addition to mountain bike summer camps. Program registration for Summer Camp is open, with a few
available spots. Their aim is to remove as many barriers to entry for the sport of mountain biking. They provide full program scholarships and bikes to kids in need.
In addition, on August 27, Saratoga Shredders is hosting the first ever Shred Fest - an afternoon of guided group mountain bike rides at five different trail systems in the area, followed by a party
with food and LIVE music at Glenham Farm in Saratoga Springs. Please see event info at www.ShredFest.org.
To learn more about Saratoga Shredders, visit www.saratogashredders.com.
