Thomas MacMIllan
Matt Feiner with 7-year-old Adriana and her mom Maria Sepulveda.
A school year of good behavior paid off for 7‑year-old Adriana Sepulveda Wednesday in the form of a shiny new bike and cherry red helmet.
Adriana was one of 16 kids to collect new bikes Wednesday afternoon at King-Robinson school. It was the 22nd year of the city’s “Bikes for Kids” program, which is supported by a grant from the state Education Department’s Youth Services Bureau.
The city will give away 50 bikes in all to kids this year from King-Robinson and Lincoln Bassett schools who had good attendance, behavior, and “character,” during the last school year, said Digna Marte-Martin, a Wilbur Cross teacher who helped organize this year’s giveaway. Last year the giveaway was for students at Katherine Brennan and Clarence Rogers.
This year’s bikes are GT BMX models, in yellow and white. The Devil’s Gear bike shop offered the bikes at cost to the city, and donated hours of labot to assembling the 50 two-wheelers. Each lucky student also received a new helmet.
Jeremiah Mitchell with the Devil’s Gear’s Warren Brelsford.
Matt Feiner, the owner of the Devil’s Gear, said it’s the fourth year his shop has donated its services to the program. In previous years, the shop has ordered a mix of different types of bikes. This year, Feiner said, he decided to go with all BMXs. The shop provides the bikes at cost and assembles them.
Feiner and a half-dozen of his staff members were on hand Wednesday to fit the bikes for their new owners.
First Superintendent Reggie Mayo and the principals of the two participating schools offered some remarks.
Mayo told the gathered kids they were not there by chance. The bike is a reward for your effort, he said.
“You work hard. That’s what life it about,” he said. And hard work is rewarded. “There are dividends.”
Adriana’s was the first name to be called.
“I like it,” she said shyly after being fitted for a new helmet. She said it was her first bike ever.
What did she do to earn it?
Adriana shrugged.
“She was just a good student,” said mom Maria Sepulveda.
Jeremiah and Isaiah get fitted.
Isaiah Brown and his cousin Jeremiah Mitchell picked up a yellow and and white bike respectively. Then they picked out some helmets to protect their matching mohawks.
“I like yellow,” said Isaiah. “It’s my favorite.”