One student enjoyed the 10-mile bike ride, even though his legs were sore at the end.
Another appreciated the hot dogs provided afterward.
Still another loved the whole experience .
“It was the best day ever!” she wrote.
These are among the comments that Akron and Cleveland students wrote on thank-you cards to Cycling Schools, a nonprofit program that provides educational bike rides along the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). The program is geared toward fourth through sixth graders from urban schools, most of whom have never been to the national park.
“I think getting them into the Valley is really important and for them to experience the park,” said Mark Albrecht, a board member for Cycling Schools who helps with the rides. “They really light up when they get here.”
Cycling Schools, which is funded by grants and individual donations, was awarded a $2,000 Millennium Fund grant for the first time this year.
It is one of 35 organizations receiving a total of $60,200 in grants this year through the Millennium Fund for Children, a partnership of the Akron Beacon Journal and the Akron Community Foundation. Since the Millennium Fund launched in 1999, it has distributed more than $1 million in grants to local groups that benefit children.