Yamaha Funds Six All Kids Bike Programs in Georgia and California
National Movement Supports Future of Outdoor Recreation and Health Habits for Youth / Oct 13, 2021 /
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announces $30,000 in funding to AllKids Bike, covering the cost for six programs teaching kids in Georgia andCalifornia public schools’ kindergarten Physical Education (PE)classeshow to ride bikes. With the grant provided through the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI), Yamaha joins the nationalmovement helping kids transition from digital screens to going outside andlearning important life skills, along withbuildingconfidence and coordinationthat feeds into lifelong enthusiasm for outdoor recreation.
“With kids in the U.S.spending an average of seven hours a day on a digital screen, it’s never beenmore important for companies like Yamaha to invest in the future of outdoorrecreation by getting our youth off of the devices, and participating inhealthy and fun activities to increase their confidence, instill valuable life lessons,and simply enjoy all the outdoors has to offer,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’sMotorsports Marketing Manager.
“Research showsapproximately seventy-five percent of kids won’t even ride a bicycle one timethis year,” said Ryan McFarland, All Kids Bike founder, who helped Yamahaemployees deliver bikes to Morris Elementary in Cypress last month. “Webelieveit’s critical for the future of our kids and our communities to change thatstat, so All Kids Bike is on a mission to teach every kid in America how toride a bike in kindergarten PE class. We share a common goal with the YamahaOutdoorAccessInitiative of getting people outside and enjoying nature. Thisis a big win for our program, but mostly for the kids at these schools.”
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA,(YMUS) employees from the Marietta, Georgia, and Cypress, California corporateoffices, and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) personnel,in Newnan, Georgia, recently volunteered their timeto build and deliver bikesand helmets to local schools. Full All Kids Bike programs, including 24 balancebikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, and a teacher’s bike, were delivered toElm Street Elementary in Newnan, Georgia, A.L. BurrussElementary School inMarietta, Georgia, and Juliet Morris Elementary School in Cypress, California.Three more schools in Newnan, Marietta, and Cypress are also guaranteed fundingthrough the Yamaha grant and will receive the same programsupport this year.
“Being able tofinancially support these efforts is always great, but giving Yamaha employeesthe opportunity to contribute their time to help build and deliver the bikes toschools in the communities where they work is much more meaningful andvaluable,”Nessl said. “It’s rewarding to know we’re playing a role in getting more kidsoutside.”
The All Kids Bikeprogram, developed to be a plug-and-play program for public schools that alignswith SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards, also includes aneight-lesson Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Curriculum, teachertrainingandcertification, and a five-year support plan.
“Yamaha has longstanding,essential ties to the Newnan community. It’s where we live, where we work, andwhere we play, and we’re excited to help bring this program to the kids at ourlocal elementary schools,” said Bob Brown, Vice President,Finance andOperations Support at YMMC. “These are the first schools in Georgia to receivethe All Kids Bike program, and we expect to see a positive ripple effect whenmore communities start to learn about it and see the outcome of its manywonderful aspects.”
The All Kids Bike program is nowin 350 schools in 45 states, with another 50 schools currently in training thatwill have the program by the end of the year.
“My dad was a Yamaha dealer whenI was a kid, so I grew up on Yamaha. The very first Strider Bike I built for myson 15 years ago, I painted it blue and put some Yamaha stickers on it,” saidMcFarland, who is also the founder and CEO of StriderSports International,Inc., maker of the Strider Bikes utilized in the All Kids Bike program. “Nowthat we’ve teamed up with Yamaha’s offices and employees to bring thisimportant program to kids in their communities, we know it will continue togrowfrom here and we’re already seeing interest from their neighboringschools.”
As the powersports industry’sleading outdoor access program, the Yamaha OAI remains an essential resource tograssroots efforts initiated by riding clubs, land stewardship organizations,educational programs, and public land managers across thecountry. For morethan 12 years, Yamaha has been issuing quarterly grants to non-profitorganizations supporting the needs of riding groups, outdoor enthusiasts, landstewardship organizations, and land managers to improve recreationalfacilities,expand outdoor access, and educate the public on outdoor recreation.Yamaha has contributed more than $4.5 million in aid to nearly 400 projectsacross the nation over the life of the program.
“Funding for our local schoolsis integral, and so is helping spread awareness for these national programsthat support and activate local efforts where our employees and customers live,”Nessl said. “Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative grant willservekids at thesesix schools for years, and we hope the awareness this grant will bring to thebroader outdoor recreation community will continue to generate funding for moreschools.”
Submission guidelines andapplications for Yamaha OAI grants are available at YamahaOAI.com. Connectwith Yamaha on social media via @YamahaOutdoors and search any of the followinghashtags on all platforms:#Yamaha #YamahaOAI#REALizeYourAdventure#ProvenOffRoad #AssembledInUSA
About the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
For more than a decade, theYamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has led the Powersports industry inguaranteeing responsible access to our nation’s land for outdoor enthusiasts.Through this program, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supportedthousands ofmiles of motorized recreation trails, maintained and rehabilitated riding andhunting areas, improved staging areas, supplied agricultural organizations withessential OHV safety education, builtbridgesoverfish-bearingstreamsandpartneredwithlocaloutdoorenthusiastcommunitiesacrossthecountry to improve accessto public lands. Updated guidelines, application form, information and newsabout the Outdoor Access Initiative are available at YamahaOAI.com.
About All Kids Bike
All KidsBike is a national movement led by the nonprofit Strider Education Foundationto place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for freeusing donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. One of the keygoalsof the organization is to make riding a bicycle the fourth “R” ofelementary education along with reading, writing and arithmetic. The ability toride improves a life greatly while developing balance, mobility, safety, environmentalawareness and facilitatingexercise. It instills confidence in the classroom,home and community.
About Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. of America
Founded in1986, the Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) facility hasthe highest certifications for quality, safety and environmental manufacturingin producing golf cars, personal watercraft, Side-by-Side vehicles andall-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The factory is ISO9001 Quality Management Systemand ISO14001 Environmental Management System certified.
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognizedleader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding productofferings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles,Snowmobiles, WaveRunnerPersonal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, OutdoorPower Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist WheelchairSystems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, UnmannedHelicopters, Accessories, Apparel,Yamalube products, and much more. YMUSproducts are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers inthe United States.
YMUShas a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia,facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee andGeorgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC)with divisions BennettMarine (Florida) and Kracor Systems (Wisconsin), Skeeter Boats (Texas), withdivision G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
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ATVs over 90cc are recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older.
SxS Vehicles are recommended for use only by licensed drivers 16 years and older.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Scott Newby
Yamaha MotorCorp., USA
770-420-6078
Scott_Newby@Yamaha-Motor.com
