A group of young students at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Waterloo were treated to a pleasant surprise Feb. 28 as the school received a donation of training bicycles which are set to be a much-loved part of the PE curriculum for years to come.

The full donation includes a set of training bicycles, adjustable helmets, storage rolling racks and a curriculum. The bikes also feature pedals that can be added or removed based on where the students are in the curriculum.

These bicycles come from All Kids Bike, a national nonprofit which accepts donations and sponsorships on behalf of certain schools.

For SPPCS, the sponsorship comes from the Dave and Barbara Mungenast Foundation, started by the family who has long owned and operated the Dave Mungenast auto dealerships around the St. Louis area.

Jessica Mungenast was one of several foundation representatives who was present for the bike unveiling at SPPCS. She also spoke with the Republic-Times to discuss her family’s foundation and how the donation to SPPCS came about.

She explained the foundation began as her grandparents found themselves having enjoyed substantial business success through the dealerships and other businesses.

“They’re the ones that started the dealership back in 1965, so it was their way of giving back to the community,” Jessica said.

The foundation was created in 1996, with its wide efforts focused around the St. Louis area.

Jessica provided an overview of some of the organizations this foundation has supported over the years – davemungenast.com also provides a list of organizations – including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the St. Louis Area Food Bank, the Boys & Girls Club, Mercy Medical, BackStoppers and Riding for a Reason.

Regarding the foundation’s work with All Kids Bike, Jessica recalled how her father and brother participated in a motorcycle ride and happened to meet Ryan McFarland, current secretary and treasurer of the organization who also played a major role in getting it started.

“All of the stars kind of aligned with that, what my family’s passionate about and what All Kids Bike is really striving for in teaching kids to ride bikes,” Jessica said.

The foundation previously sponsored an All Kids Bike donation for Hancock Place Elementary School, making the SPPCS donation the second such Mungenast Foundation sponsorship.

This sponsorship actually came about given Jessica’s own connection to the school. Having lived in Waterloo since 2017, her son currently attends pre-school at SPPCS.

Offering more perspective on why she and her family are interested in having the foundation work with All Kids Bike, she noted the figures this organization provides regarding youth screen-time and physical activity.

She noted the benefits of generally teaching kids a skill as useful as riding a bike, but wanting to help kids stay active is also a big reason for the sponsorships.

“When we talked to All Kids Bike and they were giving the statistics of, ‘This many kids don’t know how to ride a bike at any point in their life or don’t get close to it,’” Jessica said. “It really just throws it right in front of your face and makes you realize how important this really is.”

Jessica also spoke about her hopes for continuing with these donations, with the response from the kids being a major thrill.

“When we did Hancock, we weren’t sure if we wanted it to be a one-time thing or multiple, but it was so rewarding,” Jessica said. “You can give money to a charity, but to give money and immediately see these kids smile, it’s so rewarding.”

The SPPCS kindergarten class was certainly pleased on Feb. 28, with the bikes being revealed from under a parachute to tremendous cheers from kindergarteners after a brief speech from Jessica and SPPCS Principal Lori Matzenbacher.

Students were all too happy to ride around the gym with PE teacher Kerry Brinkmann soon after, pushing themselves along without pedals as they got a feel for keeping their balance.

Matzenbacher spoke with the Republic-Times following the reveal, expressing appreciation for the donation and emphasizing how excellent an opportunity it is for the students.

“I feel like it really opens up some doors for us and our PE class to help young children be able to learn how to ride a bike,” Matzenbacher said. “We’re able to teach them at a young age within the school building. I know parents and families are extremely busy with a variety of different activities after school and in the evenings.”

Per a press release from All Kids Bike, the equipment is set to last somewhere between 7-10 years, with the donation hopefully impacting about 17 students each year.

Jessica voiced her anticipation for the foundation’s future sponsorships – a bike donation was subsequently made to Green Park Lutheran School in Mehlville, Mo. – as well as her hopes that the new SPPCS equipment sees plenty of use.

“It’s a great thing to add to just have another piece of curriculum in the PE class,” Jessica said. “Whether they use them every year or not, I hope they do, but at least they have them there.”