School bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses didn't forget the pledge it made in 2020 to donate bicycles and safety equipment to the Bike for Kids Foundation on behalf of students attending two elementary schools in High Point, N.C.

Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company finally fulfilled that promise, delivering 140 bicycles and helmets to third- and fourth-grade students attending Montlieu Academy of Technology and Oak Hill Elementary.

Bikes for Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization based in California, works to overcome poverty and entitlement by awarding disadvantaged children with a bike and helmet upon completion of a character-building curriculum. Since 2002, Bikes for Kids has reached over 61,000 children across hundreds of elementary schools. The foundation targets its efforts toward elementary schools with at least 80% Title 1 students, meaning more than half the children indicate an extreme need for financial and social support.

“At Thomas Built, we aim to provide our nation’s children with the safest environment possible to get them to and from school,” said Kevin Bangston from Thomas Built Buses, which is based in High Point. “It was an honor and a privilege to give back to our hometown students by presenting them with bikes that allow them to lead happier, healthier lives in our communities outside of school.”

“Thomas Built Buses has been a huge blessing to the Oak Hill Elementary for many years,” said Sonia Marquez, principal of Oak Hill Elementary. “Our students, staff, and families are fortunate to have been the beneficiary of their generosity for so long. I look forward to our continued partnership for more years to come.”