Hammond students Jordan Cox (l) and Ann Gray Jumper (r) watch as Logan Elementary student Alexandra White sits on her new bike for the first time. Photos by Amanda Taylor

In the few weeks before Christmas, children all over the country are dreaming about the most magical morning of the year and the gifts they will receive. Hammond students Jordan Cox, Ann Gray Jumper, and Ted and Georgia Lydon were dreaming of Christmas too, but they also had something a bit more important on their minds.

The students and their parents pulled together to make Christmas extra special for 12 second grade students at Logan Elementary School.

On December 16, each child in Laura Jumper’s second grade class received a brand new bike, courtesy of Latan Cox and her 10–year–old son, Jordan. Each child also received a stocking filled with books and toys from Sherri Lydon and her middle school aged son, Ted, and younger daughter, Georgia.

Ann Gray, Laura’s daughter and Jordan’s classmate, provided refreshments and entertainment for the class holiday party. Ann Gray, Jordan, and Latan were there for the party and to watch the children receive their gifts.

Second–grader Alexis Maxwell loves her new “Groovy Girls” doll she received at her class holiday party. “What everyone did is extremely generous,” Laura said. “I couldn’t do what I do if it weren’t for the generosity of people.” She added, “This is the first time I’ve ever had anyone adopt my whole class.”

All of this started when Laura was trying to find a sponsor for one child in her class for Christmas. Latan, Laura’s friend, was originally going to sponsor that child. But after some thought, she decided it would be better to do something nice for the whole class. “I’m trying to instill in my child that not everybody has what he has,” Latan said.

So Latan and Jordan went to Kmart where they bought 12 similar bikes. Kmart was generous enough to bring in someone to assemble them, and Kmart stored the bikes until Chris Jumper, Laura’s husband, could pick them up.

Then the Lydon family volunteered to put together stockings for all the children. They were filled with nice toys and books selected by Ted and Georgia.

On the morning of December 16, Chris brought the bikes to Logan Elementary where they were temporarily stored in the guidance office. At this point, none of the children knew they were getting bikes – they just knew they were getting a special surprise. Their parents knew about the bikes from a letter from Laura, and they had made arrangements to pick up the bikes after school that day.

When the children first saw the bikes, they were in awe, according to Laura. She said they stared quietly for a few moments, then asked things like “How do I ride it?” Some said, “I need training wheels.”

Laura recalled the tears from parents over the phone, saying, “I can’t believe my child is getting a bike for Christmas.” Many of the parents were there after school to see their children’s faces as they got their new bikes.

Another big hit with the girls in the class were the “Groovy Girls” dolls supplied by Georgia. “The girls, when they got the dolls they were like, ‘I’m going to sleep with them,’” Ann Gray recalled.

After the children had all gone, taking their presents home for winter break, Laura said, “We got as much out of this as the children did.” She added, “This is so much fun. And all I had to do was ask.”