Bike Rodeo at Ethel Taylor School

Check out these proud and happy young smartypants.

They are proud because they passed their grade level proficiency tests.
They are happy because they are the new proud owners of very cool brand new bikes for doing so.

And this is the Molly Luken, who connected those brand new bikes to those kids who worked hard and studied harder in spite of numerous challenges. 

Although she insists that she benefited from the support of many, she was the driving force that motivated these students and their new bikes.

Molly works for Ethel Taylor School in Millvale.

She is wonderfully dedicated to the students there... she frets and fusses over them and comes up with really great ideas that might motivate them to do well on their testing. 

Like a bike rodeo.

So on a rainy Thursday afternoon about 100 boys and girls were awarded new bikes for having passed their proficiency tests. 

And those kids who haven't passed quite yet got to see that Molly, and their teachers, and all of the other grown ups involved, were good for their new bike promise.

These kids can be certain that those adults will be cheering them on, helping them study and be successful every single step of the way. 

And my guess is that there will be 200 new bikes at next years rodeo.

A little postscript  shout out for Target and CCHMC.

Seeing this event first hand gave me two more reasons to love (even more) two places in Cincinnati....Target and Children's Hospital. 
First, Target...

Target donated their services to build the bikes. 
They had their employees take big boxes full of thousands of little parts and pieces and built them into complete bikes for boys and girls that they could ride home from school that day.
Thank you Target.
Next, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital donated a helmet for each student, and personally fit those helmets to each new bike rider. 
And then brought coolers full of fresh fruit to give to the kids as an after school snack.
Helmets and snacks... thank you, Children's Hospital.