Big surprise as more than 450 bikes giving away to NHC 3rd graders

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — There was a big surprise for hundreds of New Hanover County 3rd graders Tuesday morning.

The Bikes for Kids Foundation gave away 453 bikes for free to students from 7 different New Hanover County elementary schools during an event at New Hanover High School.

The students had each written an essay about hard work and what they wanted to be when they grew up, thinking they were taking part in a writing contest for just a handful of bikes.

The foundation works with Title 1 schools, which are schools that receive funding to assist students from low-income families.

Christey Westover is a teacher at Snipes Academy.

She said it was a thrill to see her students get so excited.

“My heart absolutely melted,” Westover said. “These kids deserve the world and I had to hold in the surprise. And they wrote these essays with just the empathy and the compassion, the excitement to develop their futures. And they were so excited and they were in shock as well.”

This was the first time the school district had worked with Bikes for Kids, which was founded back in 2002.

New Hanover County Schools interim superintendent Chris Barners said he hopes the district is able to do this every year because it means so much to the students.