Visiting South Elementary teachers receive bikes to get around Breckenridge
South Elementary Special Education teachers Katrina Bama and Tresilita Liñan, who are both visiting teachers from the Philippines, may not have their Texas driver licenses yet, but that didn’t stop them from getting some wheels to get around Breckenridge.
South Elementary Special Education teachers Katrina Bama (left) and Tresilita Liñan take a selfie photo with their new bicycle helmets. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Both teachers received a free bicycle and riding helmet Thursday afternoon donated by Spokes for Folks and First United Methodist Church. Pam Jackson with Spokes for Folks in Dallas presented the two teachers with the bikes at the school.
“The teachers are amazing, and our community has done an awesome job at reaching out and making them feel at home,” South Elementary Principal Kenna Rainey said in a statement.
Matt Hall, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Breckenridge, and Terry Langford, lay leader for the church, were also on hand at Thursday’s bike presentation to the teachers. Hall said the church sponsors a bicycle ministry, which had its first ministry in July and plans to hold another one on Saturday morning. He said anybody interested in participating in the event is welcome. Their goal is to try and sponsor one a month when the weather cools off.
Spokes for Folks is a non-profit corporation that was founded in July 2000 by two Texas teens, Armond and Andrew Schwartz. It began when the two brothers were clearing out their garage and decided to repair the old bikes that had been sitting there for years. It amazed them that something that they actually liked to do could have such a tremendous impact on other kids.
Over the Christmas break that year, they picked up 30 bikes from neighborhood families and cleaned and repaired them, and donated them to the Boys and Girls Clubs for distribution.
Since then, their project has gained rising support. Both the City of Dallas Volunteer Center and the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge recognized their work. In 2008, Pam Jackson of the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, along with students Noah Goetz and Liz Livingston, revitalized the organization. With the ongoing support of volunteers in the cycling community, including DORBA, Spokes for Folks has now donated over 5,500 bicycles to a variety of organizations.
South Elementary Special Education teacher Katrina Bama and Tresilita Liñan pose with the new bikes donated to them by First United Methodist Church and Spokes for Folks. Pictured from left are Terry Langford, lay leader at FUMC; Pam Jackson with Spokes for Folks; Liñan and Bama; and Matt Hall, pastor at FUMC. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/ Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: Spokes for Folks representative Pam Jackson watches as South Elementary Special Education teacher Katrina Bama gives fellow teacher Tresilita Liñan a ride on her new bike in the parking lot at South Elementary. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
