Notes From Perry Street: The Glanton Elementary Surprise!

Pictured above: Employees at Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation, here in Newnan, lift the parachute to unveil a wonderful surprise to students at Glanton Elementary in Grantville.

By JOHN A. WINTERS, Publisher

So we got this notice from the pre-school Eldest Son of Thunder attended that there was going to be some type of “Civic Day,” or something to that effect. Kids were to bring their tricycles and a nice officer was going to teach the rules of cycling out in the parking lot.

I look at the Little Black Dress. The LBD looks at me. Eldest does not have a tricycle. Eldest has never been on a bike or tricyle of anything of that matter. What Eldest DOES have is this super cool battery powered “car” complete with mag wheels, roll bars, a gazillion stickers, horn and it could top 25 mph. Okay, I made up that last part, but it was fast.

When we mentioned bringing The Car, I think there was a sigh on the other end of the phone. Something about fine motor skills and the fact one needs to know how to ride a bike.

I agree with that, but for some reason just dropped the ball on that one. Eldest got his trike, complete with flaming stickers and an air horn, the next day.

I was remembering all this as I walked the halls of Glanton Elementary School in Grantville. Kids were lining up outside class, I guess to go to another class. Drill sergeants got nothing on a First Grade teacher making kids stand in a perfect line.

“Is that where our hands belong?” “Do I see an untucked shirt?” “Are we using our ‘hallway’ voices?” “Are you standing straight?”

All of which is freaking me out because I know they are talking to me. But I get through the hallway and enter the gym. There’s a big parachute covering something, but I don’t know what it is.

Okay, that’s a lie. I do know what’s under the parachute – that’s why I’m here in the first place. But I don’t know because the parachute is loose and I can’t make out exactly what is under there. Even though I do. Make sense?

Soon, about 40 kids politely, slowly, in a perfect line, walk into the gym and sat perfectly down on the gym floor.

And then Principal Dr. Nina Wimbley said a few words to them. And then said something to the effect of “so, just how loud can you be?”

I literally did that thing you do when someone explodes a firecracker or something behind you. Kids are so freaking loud.

There was a reason to all this madness. Because under that parachute were a couple dozen balance-to-pedal bikes. They were being donated to the school, and specifically the gym department, so every kid in that school would know how to ride a bike.

This was the third Title 1 elementary school that Yamaha Corp. , though its Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. facility here in Coweta, has donated bikes as part of the All Kids Ride national program.

Employees at Yamaha put the bikes together and then get them to each school. And most importantly, they lift the parachute.

And the kids go nuts.

It is corporate citizens like Yamaha and countless others that help make Coweta County such a great place to live. Giving back is such a great reward, not only for the recipients, but the donors as well. So thanks to all from small businesses to large corporations for making Coweta what it is.

Until next time.