Highland Park, MI:
Canton, OH:
We want to say a special thank-you to Jeff Jackson and Bruce Carroll, both of whom donated their services of photography and video for the Adopt-A-Bike event in Canton, Ohio.
Jeff Jackson is an excellent professional photographer in the Canton/ Akron, Ohio area. He was incredibly enthusiastic about the Adopt-A-Bike event from the beginning. His desire to give back to his community is infectious. Every photo of Belden Elementary School was taken by him. You can find his website here.
Bruce Carroll is an award-winning videographer for the Canton/Akron Area. He was so after filming video for the event that he decided to donate his work to the USS Foundation. The footage from the videos will be used in forthcoming promotional material. You can find his website here.
After the wonderful day in Highland Park, Michigan, we were extremely eager to experience the excitement awaiting us at Belden Elementary School in Canton, Ohio. We brought 150 beautiful new bikes with us to give to students in this economically-struggling area. It took many hours of work from USS' employees to arrange and unload these bikes into Belden's gym.
Every bike was graced with the child's name who would recieve it, in order to be more organized.
As the gym filled with parents and children, it instantly echoed with excited voices as they saw the rows of gleaming bikes waiting to be taken home. Every child dressed in bright colored pajamas, reflecting the vibrant atmosphere of the room.
To start the event, the district superintendent, Dr. Michele Evans; the school principle, Victor Johnson; and USS Foundation founder, Adel Sayegh each gave short speeches about the importance of giving and the road to success.
Immediately after, the children cheerfully welcomed Santa Claus as he came to give out bicycles.
As the principle called every child by grade, they joyfully searched through the hundreds of bicycles to find the one with their name on it. Once they did, smiles appeared on each child as they sat on and admired their new bikes.
In the midst of all the glee of getting on their bikes, one girl felt left out. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and was not able to ride the bike given to her very well. This little girl won the hearts of every USS empoyee, including Adel Sayegh who promised to order her a bike she could ride.
The USS Foundation is extremely pleased with the way that the Adopt-A-Bike event went. Seeing every child's happiness grow made every preparation and every donation worth it. We know that these bikes brought joy and hope to many children who may not have had much otherwise. Our hope is that this event will push them forward to "ride to a bigger and better future"!
We will be posting many more pictures in the days ahead!
This is the story of how children in Highland Park, Michigan received bicycles for Christmas on December 19, 2011.
After a six-hour flight from Los Angeles to Detroit, USS employees, Moe Asfahani and Denise Canfield, began the preparations for the first Adopt-A-Bike event. This was no small task because 200 bikes needed to be transported from Walmart to the two elementary schools in Highland Park: Barber Focus School and Henry Ford Academy
It took several hours of loading and unloading to get all 200 bikes into the gym of each school. Once the shiny new bicycles were placed into organized rows, we were ready for the children’s smiling faces the next day.
The next day, the gym floors of each school filled with children who were excited to start riding their brand new bikes; their parents warmly watched in the back. USS Foundation founder, Adel Sayegh, personally greeted them as everyone eagerly awaited the beginning of the event.
After short inspirational presentations by Adel Sayegh and school officials, the kid's cheer exploded at the sight of Santa beginning to distribute the bicycles.
The joy that these bicycles brought to the children was increibly moving, and many of the parents expressed their deep gratitude as this was the first bike their child had owned.
While spending time in Highland Park, Michigan, we saw firsthand the effects of the current economic recession. Thousands search for jobs daily with no success. Hundreds of building, once thriving with business, sit entirely empty without much hope of being occupied again soon. We recognize that giving a bicycle to a child does not answer the current problems in these cities, but we know it brought great gladness and a hope for future success to those that recieved them. These bikes will be a menas for them to travel to school in order to learn what they need to overcome the obstacles of life.
In the coming days, there will be many more pictures posted on the main website page.
The USS Foundation would like to thank everyone who helped make the Adopt-A-Bike events in Highland Park a success. On this cold December morning, we had Santa Clause hand-deliver a total of 250 Bicycles to students at two different schools in Highland Park. It was wonderful to see the joy in the children’s faces as they received these early Christmas presents. With great excitement, many students jumped on their brand new bicycles immediately and began to ride them around the parking lot. The effect of the Adopt-A-Bike program on Barber Focus School and The Henry Ford Academy was truly inspiring. Check back on Thursday for pictures!
Our hope is that the students will use these bikes to get to school, where they will learn the skills they need for a successful future. This event would not have been possible without the generous help of our donors and everyone that has been involved in the Adopt-A-Bike program.
Adopt-A-Bike Spotlight: Canton, Ohio The second stop for our Adopt-A-Bike program will be in Canton, Ohio. Canton is a diverse city where the NFL was founded and President William McKinley was born in 1843. For every story of success coming from Canton, there are just as many stories of difficulty. Areas of Canton have suffered dramatically due to the current economic recession. Before the decline of the region’s manufacturing industry, tens of thousands of people were employed by the factories of nearby major corporations. Many of those workers now find themselves unemployed and struggling to afford the necessities of life.
Currently, above 28 percent of families in the Canton, Ohio, area are living below the poverty line. Experts believe that this percentage could be growing and thousands more could find themselves in economic difficulty there.
This Christmas, we want to give children of low-income families in Canton a beacon of hope. They need to know that despite economic hardships, there are still people that want to see them succeed. In order to help children get to school and learn the skills they need to succeed in life, the USS Foundation will be delivering 150 bicycles as gifts to children that attend the Belden Elementary School on December 21 so they will have a reliable form of school transportation.
If you would like to be a part of this amazing opportunity, you can donate by clicking here.
Highland Park, Michigan, the first stop for our Adopt-A-Bike program, is a city that has seen incredible economic highs and very discouraging lows. In these dismaying times, we at The USS Foundation want to make a difference in the lives of as many children as we can.
It was there in Highland Park that Henry Ford founded the first assembly line factory that has now made him famous. Tens of thousands of people flocked to Highland Park between 1910 and 1925 in hopes of gaining the stability of a middle-class income through one of the automaker’s factories. At the peak of its prosperity, the city had the highest average standard of living in the country. Eventually, Chrysler Corporation and other major companies had factories there which provided jobs for thousands of people.
Today, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation and other major job-suppliers have relocated their business centers and factories to other cities, leaving Highland Park with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Due to Highland Park’s level of poverty, the city has opted to remove its streetlights because the electricity bill has become too difficult to pay causing many to fear a rise in crime.
The people of this city are in great need of hope. We believe that by showing Highland Park’s children our care and support, we can make an impact on the community. The key to a successful future for the children of Highland Park is found in their education. So, on December 20th, the USS Foundation will be donating 200 bikes to children at two different schools within Highland Park to provide a reliable way to travel to school and further their education. Our excitement couldn’t be greater as the day approaches.
If you would like to join us as we strive to make the children of Highland Park’s Christmas a wonderful time they will never forget, you can
We are 11 days away from our first Adopt-A-Bike event.
On December 20th and 21st, 350 bikes will be placed in the hands of students who are unable to afford many of the comforts most people take for granted. This holiday season, it is our joy to reach our hands out to children who are often forgotten by those of us who are blessed to live above the poverty line. Our anticipation grows greater and greater with every moment of planning we do for these exciting days.
Students of the Barber Focus School and Henry Ford Academy in Highland Park, Michigan, will be the first to receive their new bikes on the 20th, then Belden Elementary School in Canton, Ohio, on the 21st.
These students spend much of their time treading though rough, impoverished areas on foot just to make it to school on time. Because of the difficult economy, transportation does not come easy for many in these areas. By providing a way for them to travel to school, it is our hope that we can alleviate some of this difficulty so the children can learn the skills they need for a brighter future.
Knowing firsthand the hardship many of these kids have faced, the school districts we have been working with are eager to see the joy the Adopt-A-Bike program will bring to their students. Their excitement is growing, and school officials are looking forward to seeing hundreds of children smiling in delight as they sit on the seats of their new bikes.
It is certainly going to be a Christmas that we at The USS Foundation will never forget! Check back here for updates on the donations and all thegreat things USSF is doing.
