Kissimmee honor roll students earn new bikes through donation

  • About 30 Kissimmee after-school program participants received free bikes Wednesday from the City of Kissimmee and Waste Management for making the A/B honor roll. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
    About 30 Kissimmee after-school program participants received free bikes Wednesday from the City of Kissimmee and Waste Management for making the A/B honor roll. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
  • Safety first: Kissimmee Police Department officers fit the new bike recipients with new bike helmets.PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
    Safety first: Kissimmee Police Department officers fit the new bike recipients with new bike helmets.PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
  • The bikes were a donation from Waste Management; city Parks & Recreation officials identified the recipients. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
    The bikes were a donation from Waste Management; city Parks & Recreation officials identified the recipients. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON

With the school year nearly over, children will be looking for summer activities.

About 30 of them will be able to ride bikes — their new bikes, donated to them by the City of Kissimmee, in collaboration with Waste Management, because of their academic achievements.

The students in the after school programs at Chambers Park who earned places on the A/B honor roll collected their bikes Wednesday afternoon at the community center. Kissimmee Police Department came through with bike helmets, which the kids were sized up for before they could head home with them in order to explore their neighborhoods with some healthy, athletic play time.

The students were selected from Club C, Fun Club out of the Oak Street Community Center, and Dynamic After School After Hours (D.A.S.H.) at Lakeside Community Center. A total of 40 bikes were donated and assembled for Wednesday; those not given away at the event will be raffled off at The City of Kissimmee Back-to-School event this year in August, City of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Director Steve Lackey said.

“We came together to find the best way to recognize this donation, and benefit our kids,” he said.

Waste Management acquired and assembled the bikes. City recreation directors identified the worthy recipients.

Mayor Olga Gonzalez said the bike giveaway highlights a “spirit of community collaboration.

“The students demonstrated academic excellence by achieving honor roll status,” she said. “We acknowledge and celebrate these achievements. It brings me great joy seeing these deserving kids rewarded, and using these bikes around the city, bike trails and Lakefront Park.”

Waste Management Senior Executive Jose Boscan said his team thought the best way to donate the bikes was through its partnership with the city.

“We are really thankful we could make this happen for the Parks and Rec department today,” he said, “And recognize these great children who’ve worked so hard to get good grades.”