Eighty Fayetteville, North Carolina, third graders received bikes after competing in an essay contest. | Agung Pandit Wiguna/Pexels
Eighty Fayetteville, North Carolina, third graders received bikes after competing in an essay contest. | Agung Pandit Wiguna/Pexels
Christmas came early for about 80 Cumberland County, North Carolina, students who received a big surprise thanks to a local company that wanted to reward the children for learning.
Third graders had the opportunity to compete for one of five bicycles that were to be awarded after an essay contest, according to a WTVD report. But with 80 essays, Olde Fayetteville Insurance Co. raised the stakes by sponsoring the program locally, allowing Westarea Elementary School to give out 80 bikes.
"This kind of ties in our expectations along with showing them, giving them something tangible as you think big, as you think about your future, as you think about those goals,” Westarea Elementary Principal, Zakiyyah Backman, told WTVD.
The program is part of a nationwide initiative called “Bikes for Kids” that is designed to motivate students to learn, according to WRAL. The topic for this year’s essay contest was “Think big, work hard, be kind.”
This is the second year Cumberland County has participated in the program, which was co-founded by former Harlem Globetrotter, Meadowlark Lemon.
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