Excited first graders and their families packed the gym at Kimball Elementary School in National City on Friday December 19 to receive bicycles from the San Diego Metropolitan System and Scripps Skin and Hair Gallery.

“We feel it is important to reach the children early and talk to them about safety on the rails and roads, as well as to help out others during the holiday season” said MTS CEO Paul Jablonski. “Our employees and Scripps Skin and Hair Gallery donated the money so that this could happen.”

This is the second year that MTS and Scripps Skin and Hair Gallery have partnered to give 50 bicycles and 25 $50 grocery gift certificates to families of the school children. The school principal decided which families needed the gift certificates the most.

The bicycles were presented to the children as part of a safety assembly, where first they talked about going green using public transportation and riding bicycles with MTS Rail COO Wayne Terry. Then, a MTS K-9 Unit spoke to them about train safety and a National City police officer spoke about bike safety.

At last the children were surprised with the bicycles – and pandemonium erupted as the bikes were distributed to the children.