Holiday Traditions

San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon recently teamed up with Rally® to host a "Holiday Bike Build" for children of service members stationed at Naval Base San Diego. The event showcased simple steps that families can take to live healthier lives, and gave 52 military kids the opportunity to "trick out" brand new Diamondback bikes that they got to take home.

"I wasn't fortunate to get bikes and things like that when I was younger, and I know as a kid I would have loved to have one of these bikes," Gordon told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I don't care what color. It could have been pink, and I would have loved to have it."

Gordon is a Rally Health Ambassador, and he was clearly thrilled to participate in the event, particularly when playing around with 3-year-old Braylon Bishop, who has a prosthetic leg. Local TV station ABC10 News caught Gordon tossing a football with Bishop and hoisting him in the air. He said the sacrifices military families make were a big reason he got involved.

"They give so much to us,” Gordon said. "You could never thank them enough for what they do."

Joining Gordon to help the kids build and decorate their new bikes were Rally Cycling pro riders Evan Huffman, Jesse Anthony, Emerson Oronte, and Heather Fischer, as well as staffers from Diamondback Bikes. The Armed Services YMCA was also a sponsor.

All of the activities at the event were designed to showcase some of the simple ways that families can live healthier lives. The children and more than 300 family members had the opportunity to play a memory game, work on a giant crossword puzzle, and sign Rally’s “What Are You Grateful For?” wall. The event concluded with a 2-mile bike ride led by the Rally Cycling pro cyclists.

“There are few things more exciting for a kid than getting a brand new bike, and the good news about bikes is that they’re fun to ride and offer a really great form of exercise,” said Gordon. “Today, as a Rally Health Ambassador, I wanted to encourage families to move more and focus on their health. But more importantly, Rally Health and I wanted to give back to these families and say thank you.”

STAFF
Rally Health