The fourth graders at Greene County Elementary School received free gifts from a couple of organizations in Jefferson to promote a healthier lifestyle and being safe while doing so.

The Jefferson Kiwanis Club donated 80 free bicycle helmets to each fourth grader and about 15 of those students also received a free bike, compliments of the Jefferson Telecom Foundation. Physical Education teacher Sean Thompson started the program four years ago as a way to make sure each elementary student had a bicycle before they moved onto middle school. The Jefferson Kiwanis Club has been part of that tradition and coordinator Tim Buenz said they receive a grant through Blank Children’s Hospital-UnityPoint every year to provide the helmets to the kids and he described what he likes the best about doing that.

“Well, I think you see the excitement with the kids in getting a new bike helmet (and) learning how to ride a bike because a lot of them learn in his (Sean Thompson’s) biking unit, even how to ride a bike. Kiwanis (and) children are our priority and so it just meshes great with what we do and our fundraisers to support kids. 

Jefferson Telecom General Manager and CEO Jaime Daubendiek talked about their group’s involvement and helping to purchase new bikes for any fourth grader that wanted one from a survey that they responded to back in January.

“We’re in a great location being right on the (Raccoon River Valley) Trail, and being able to utilize that. For me personally, biking was always a sense of freedom and independence at a younger age. So to be able to give back to the kids and be able to provide some help for families that if they’ve never had a bike, like Tim said, Sean teaching them in school how to ride (a) bike, which is fantastic. And just kind of continuing to add on to what the Kiwanis have done and continue to do each and every year.” 

This Wednesday is National Bike to School Day and all elementary students, families and community are invited to bike together from the south parking lot of Hy-Vee to the elementary school starting around 7:30am.