BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Some kids in Bismarck got a big surprise before Christmas on Wednesday.
Workers from MDU Resources and the group All Kids Bike showed up to present more than a dozen bikes at Northridge Elementary on Wednesday morning.
Governor Doug Burgum was also there to greet the kids and talk about the program, which teaches more kids to ride a bike.
The program promises to teach kids to ride a bike in just eight lessons. It begins with kids in kindergarten who start on a strider bike and then move onto a pedal bike.
“The statistic is only one in four kids will ride a bike this year,” All Kids Bike Executive Director Lisa Weyer said. “And with the pandemic, we have obesity rates increasing. Kids are on screens for over seven hours a day. So, the whole health of the nation and kids, in general, is just declining.”
Northridge will keep and use the bikes during their PE classes for the next 10 years.
All Kids Bike is based out of South Dakota but has brought bikes to more than 700 schools all over the country.