The cafeteria at Holy Angels Catholic School was a pressure cooker of five-year-old energy. The team at Southside Harley-Davidson exclaimed that you could feel it! That electric hum before something big happens.
by Jeffrey Najar
Principal Matthew Krulik stepped up, eyes glinting with mischief. He didn’t say, “Welcome.” He said, “Are you ready?” And that was all it took. The place went nuclear.
The Reveal
Behind the curtain sat 24 brand-new Strider bikes, lined up like chrome ponies at the starting gate. Courtesy of All Kids Bike. This organization is on a mission to teach every kid in America how to ride and spend less time on their screens.
They’ve already reached over a million little riders across 1,000 schools, with over 100,000 taught every school year. This wasn’t charity. It’s a revolution in motion.
And the revolution had a pit crew: the Southside Harley-Davidson team.
They didn’t just sponsor the event. Led by Sherry Long, Marketing Director, they built the bikes. Delivered them. Produced the reveal. The kind of hands-on, grease-under-the-fingernails generosity that makes you believe in good people again.
When Annette Chambers, the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy Manager, took the mic, the kids were vibrating like soda cans. She talked about bike etiquette — respect, balance, control — and then she leaned in and whispered, “Let’s count it down.”
Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
The parachute dropped.
Screams detonated.
Twenty-four miniature dream machines gleamed under the school lights, and every single jaw hit the floor.
That’s social proof in action — the kind of contagious joy that makes you want in. It wasn’t just the kids. Grown-ups were grinning like they’d just hit the throttle on life again.
Then Officer Marilyn Gurnell, the PE teacher, strapped on her helmet, cool as a comic book hero. She fitted helmets, tightened straps, and rolled out the first bike demo with the swagger of someone who’s taught a thousand kids to dream bigger. Soon, those kindergarteners were walking, wobbling, laughing, and, just like that, riding. Two wheels. Freedom.
And that’s where the magic lives: in motion. In the give and the gift.
Harley’s authority meets All Kids Bike’s mission, wrapped up in a moment of pure, unfiltered joy.
Because in a world that keeps getting louder, faster, and more complicated, there’s something almost holy about a kid learning to ride for the first time.
At Holy Angels Catholic School, on October 23, 2025, that holiness had two wheels, a helmet, and a roar made of laughter.
About Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson®
Family-owned and operated for more than 75 years, Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson is the city’s premier destination for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, parts, apparel, and service. The dealership is dedicated to growing the local riding community through its Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy, helping new riders learn to ride safely and confidently. Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson hosts events year-round that celebrate the freedom, camaraderie, and culture that define the Harley-Davidson experience.
About The Flying Piston: The Flying Piston Benefit is produced by Marilyn Stemp of Iron Trader News & Jeff Najar of Horsepower Marketing. Funds are raised to train kindergartners on how to ride bikes by donating balance bikes to P.E. kindergartner classes. We’ve assisted in training over 200,000 kids across the USA. We also focus on VETS. To help out and to join the team, click here.
