Academy Sports + Outdoors kicked off its 8th annual youth bike donation program. Each year, at least one store in every market where Academy does business partners with select schools, not-for-profit organizations or local grassroots programs to donate boys' and girls' bikes and helmets.
Over the last decade, this donation has grown to more than 60 separate events in the Southeast. Each bike donation event includes approximately 26 bikes and helmets (13 girls' bikes with helmets and 13 boys' bikes with helmets) for a total of over 1,650 boys' and girls' bikes and helmets.
Academy said participating schools and organizations were asked to create an incentive program for their kids to help with the selection process. Some examples of these incentives include exceptionally good conduct, academic achievements, reading contests and perfect attendance. The decision to award a bike is up to the individual organizations using these criteria. Academy stores actively participate in the donations by assembling and delivering the bikes to the selected organizations as well as representing Academy on-site at the donation events.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors is an active member of the communities where we do business, and the annual bike donation gives us an opportunity to give back to our customers,” says Anita Sehgal, vice president of marketing for Academy Sports + Outdoors. “We are excited to provide our customers and associates the opportunity to support this important program that encourages the students to excel at school.”
In total, Academy will donate approximately $120,000 (retail value) in brand new boys' and girls' bikes and helmets.
Additionally, Academy partnered with Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Texans, the New Orleans Saints, the University of Georgia Women's Basketball Team and others on bike donations. Academy supports these organizations by providing the groups the option to purchase the bikes and helmets at a discounted rate as well as assisting in the assembly of the bikes.
The Texas-based company operates 120 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
