Preschoolers raise money to buy bikes for children

Twenty-nine bicycles gleamed underneath the tall Christmas tree at First United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Texas, last week.

The bikes were obviously Christmas presents for youth. Just waiting delivery.

What would not be clear until you were told is that other children— and likely much younger ones—had bought these bicycles as gifts.

The amount of money they raised? A cool $1,219.

The unusual Christmas program is called C.I.A. or Character In Action. The young children, ages 2 to 4, were all part of Atlanta First United Church Day School.

Kim Cullins Prewitt is the day school preschool director and originator of the C.I.A. idea.

‘The idea is to develop character. We should demo good character and have a heart for others like Jesus. So, we came up with this idea to plant a seed,” Prewitt said.

The idea began with the program name of C.I.A., and its graphics reflecting governmental FBI and CIA entities.

Then, cardboard boxes were built, and the preschool children ages 2 to 4 were chosen to become “C.I.A. agents” and were given badges.

Then, in phase two, the children took the boxes home and volunteered to do age-appropriate chores in return for payment to the C.I.A. effort to buy Christmas presents for others.

“The children might offer to feed the cat or pick up their room,” Prewitt said.

Within a week of taking the boxes home, the C.I.A. agents returned to school with the money and then got to watch, through video, the adults go to the store and buy the 29 bicycles.

“(We) worked with Toys for Tots to get everything done just right,” Prewitt said.

Phase three and the last part of the program was to have the Marines come and collect the new bicycles for gifts last week.

“We had a special service to speak about character in action and what everyone had done for others,” she said. “We thought the whole effort was an awesome turn around and that the children will always remember they had ‘earned’ a bike for others by doing house chores and other character building activities.”

Director Prewitt had first developed the Character In Action program while working with Wadley Regional Medical Center.

Staff photo by Neil Abeles These preschoolers pose with the bikes they raised money for. Atlanta Methodist Church Preschool Director Kim Cullins Prewitt is at back left and assistant Tatyuana Ware is at right.