Sixty city and county elementary students will wake up to a two-wheeled surprise Christmas morning.
Monday, members of Second Baptist Church in Starkville delivered bicycles for third- through fifth-grade students at Henderson-Ward Stewart and East Oktibbeha elementary schools.
The bikes will be distributed to students who wouldn’t normally receive a gift like it, said Second Baptist Pastor Joseph Stone.
Church members distributed 48 bikes to Henderson-Ward Stewart and 12 to East Oktibbeha.
Second Baptist began organizing the bike drive at the beginning of the year but told school officials of their plans last week.
“It’s just a heartwarming thing for the people of Second Baptist to do,” said Ward Stewart Principal Diane Baker. “It’s a part of true Christmas giving, and what a wonderful time to show it.
“When a community steps up and provides something for children, it just gives you a good, warm feeling,” Baker said. “It’s so appreciated by us at the school to do a slight part in distributing.”
The bikes were funded entirely by donations from church members and exceeded an original goal of 50. Stone hopes to surpass 100 bikes next year.
Stone said he and church members decided on a bike drive because it would be a practical, yet fun gift for children and encourage an active lifestyle.
Stone, a former principal at Armstrong Middle School, is keenly aware of some of the hardships students and their families endure each year.
“In a lot of areas, a lot of kids are living below the poverty line,” Stone said. “You see it firsthand. As a pastor, we’ve helped families with utilities and medicine and will always continue to do so. But, being a pastor and wanting to stay connected to the system, I felt this was a great way to keep the focus on the real reason of Christmas. We know 60 kids in our area will have something for Christmas.”
Stone said Second Baptist hopes to increase its involvement with public schools. Earlier this year, the church donated 100 book bags to Sudduth Elementary School.
Though he’s enjoying the ministry, Stone said he still feels like a school administrator through church activities.
“I’ll always miss the relationships with the kids,” Stone said. “But again, pastoring the oldest African-American church in Starkville, I’m getting to practice my admin skills in a different way. I look forward to what the church can get accomplished in the future.”
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