All kids dream of getting a new bike.
The San Diego Padres helped make that dream come true Thursday for children from San Diego’s Murphy Canyon military housing community that was devastated by a deadly private jet crash four months ago.
Children from the area’s Hancock Elementary were recently asked to write about their dreams, with the top essays being rewarded with new bikes.
Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, CEO Erik Greupner and team mascot the Swinging Friar visited the school to award the grand prize, courtesy of Bikes For Kids and the Padres Foundation.
Turned out every kid in attendance got some new wheels.
“Everybody’s getting a bike,” an administrator told the crowd of students gathered in the school’s auditorium.
The stage curtain then opened to reveal dozens of bikes, setting off a celebration.
Hancock Elementary students react after learning they would be getting new bikes from the San Diego Padres and Bikes For Kids Foundation.
“For some of the families, the parents who might have a hard time getting joy out of their kids right now, I think this is something that can bring some of that to them,” Musgrove said. “And for these kids that maybe don’t understand the severity of some of the things that happened, maybe some confusion going on in a tough time, I think it’s good to get them a little bit of joy and remind them that it’s gonna be OK.”
Families who live in the community were left reeling after a small plane crashed in the area in May, setting fire to several homes and vehicles, injuring multiple people on the ground and killing all six on board.
In the aftermath, the Padres offered support to impacted families by making donations to help cover losses.
That support continued this week by partnering with Bikes For Kids, which provided roughly 580 custom Padres bikes and matching helmets.