SAN DIEGO — Third graders at Porter Elementary got a big surprise Tuesday morning when they all received bicycles as part of the Padres Holiday Giving Tour.
Padres player Manny Machado, Padres CEO Erik Greupner, Padres Foundation President Tom Seidler and broadcaster Mark Grant surprised over 120 third graders at Porter Elementary School (North Campus) during a school assembly.
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Part of the Padres Holiday Giving Tour, the bicycles were provided by the Bikes for Kids Foundation and the team’s Going to Bat for San Diego partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Bill and Debbie Pollakov, co-founders of Bikes for Kids Foundation, were also in attendance Tuesday for the big reveal.
The kids had to write essays to receive the bikes through the Bikes for Kids Foundation bike reward program.
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They also received Padres jerseys.
FOX 5’s Julian Del Gaudio was there and caught a priceless moment when the elementary students saw surprise guest Manny Machado. An even more precious moment happened shortly after when the kids were surprised with the bicycles, many of them jumping up, throwing their hands in the air and hugging each other while screaming with joy.
The Padres Holiday Giving tour presented by Gallagher began on Monday, November 20 and continues throughout December in San Diego County as the Padres aim to spread holiday cheer and give back to the community.
Julian Del Gaudio and Heather Lake contributed to this report.
