Kingston Elementary fifth graders roll into summer with new bikes and gear

Fifth-graders ride into summer with new bikes

Some students in Bartow County are heading into summer with new bikes. On Friday, every fifth grade student at Kingston Elementary was given a free bicycle.

KINGSTON, Ga. - Every fifth grader at Kingston Elementary School in Bartow County is heading into summer on two wheels, thanks to a community-led effort that provided new bikes and gear to dozens of students.

On Friday, 73 students received free bicycles as part of Project Ride a Bike, an initiative founded by Chandra and Chris Sosebee, who also own Sosebee Cycling Park. The students were not only given brand-new bikes, but also helmets, backpacks, gloves, and tire repair tools.

What they're saying:

"We were able to provide bikes, helmets, backpacks and gear for 73 fifth graders," said Chandra Sosebee. "He [Chris] found out this year that many of the kids in fifth grade don’t have a bike or even know how to ride a bike."

What began as an idea to collect used bikes quickly turned into a large-scale donation drive.

"When we first started we were thinking used bikes," said Chris Sosebee. "Then we were able to find really good bikes at a reasonable price, and everyone started funding it from everywhere. That’s when we started buying gear to change a tire, tools, glasses, gloves."

Volunteers helped assemble and tune up the bikes over several weeks to ensure they were ready for delivery. Once the bikes arrived, students received hands-on instruction in basic cycling skills, including how to operate brakes, shift gears, and follow safety protocols.

"All about brakes, what to do, what not to do, how to test them," Chris explained. "Change gears, change your tires and safety strategy."

For students like Dixie Kiser, the gift meant more than just a ride.

"I’ve never had a bike this cool," Kiser said. "Every kid should have a bike and should know how to ride it because it’s one of the funnest things in the world if you ask me."

"Since everyone got a bike, that’s like the best thing I could ask for," she added.

What's next:

Chris Sosebee said he hopes the experience not only teaches kids new skills but also creates lasting memories.