COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — Kindergarteners at White Oak Elementary School got a big surprise thanks to a local company that has helped rebuild the community since the tornado in 2021.
Squeals of delight filled the gym as a giant rainbow parachute lifted to unveil 24 new balance bikes.
The bikes will be used in P.E. class through a program called “All Kids Bike,” which helps teach kids how to ride.
The children were all smiles as they took turns testing them out, using their feet on the floor instead of pedals to glide around the gym.
The community has been searching for reasons to smile since the tornado tore the town apart.
“A few years ago, our community was impacted by the tornado, so this is a great opportunity for students to regain things they may have lost,” Principal Kim Taylor said.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, riding a bike is considered a developmental milestone.
Over the course of an 8-week program at school, 600 kids will learn how to ride a bike through this program and the use of the balance-to-pedal conversion bikes.
The donation was possible thanks to $100,000 from Yamaha Motor Corp, which has a manufacturing plant located in Newnan. It employs 2,000 people, many of the same people affected by the tornado.
“Over 50% of our workforce lives in Coweta County, so this really is not just where we work. It’s our community. We’re part of it,” said Bob Brown, Yamaha's vice president of finance and operations support.
It has taken Newnan years to rebuild from the tornado. Lucky for the city, one of its home-based companies specializes in building things.
Immediately after the storm, Yamaha provided golf cars and side-by-side recreational vehicles when first responders had a hard time navigating through the debris. The company also helped the Newnan High School Marching band replace its musical instruments.
The company also assembled the balance bikes at the plant in Newnan and donated a set to three different elementary schools. The ultimate goal is to gift every Coweta County kindergartener a chance to learn how to ride a bike.
“It gets kids off their screens, gets them outside and teaches them not just a physical skill but gives them an opportunity to gain confidence and experience,” Brown said.
White Oak Elementary, Moreland Elementary, and Welch Elementary School – all three Title I schools- received balance bike donations.
“I think a donation like this is a great opportunity to help our students be successful in all areas, not just academics, but in learning new skills and learning healthy habits and learning to exercise and how to reduce stress. [The children will] have opportunities they may or may not have at home,” Principal Taylor said.