'Dressed warm, ate healthy'
<p>Trevor Karras, 12 of Betty Kiefer Elementary in Rathdrum, said the key for perfect attendance for him was just "dressed warm, and ate healthy." His perfect attendance this school year got him a brand-new mountain bike on Sunday at Parker Toyota Scion.</p>
<p>Cooper Haney, 12, takes a test drive at Parker Toyota Scion on Sunday. "It rides good," he said.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - It was all about two wheels, not four, at Parker Toyota Scion on Sunday.
Sixth-graders in the Lakeland School District and fifth-graders in the Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene school districts who achieved perfect attendance during the school year rolled off the car lot with new shiny blue mountain bikes and helmets.
Caden Bennett, 11, of Betty Kiefer Elementary in Rathdrum, said it was as easy as "not eating anything that might make me sick," and avoiding other students who were sick.
His parents said he worked hard to stay healthy, and made sure he got to bed early each night before school.
"He was self motivated," his mom Denise said. "We didn't know who he was," she joked.
Parker Toyota and Horace Mann Insurance gave the bikes away as an incentive to keep kids in school. The annual program is called "PASS," for "Perfect Attendance Spells Success."
The sponsors bought more than 180 bikes.
Showing up every day is something any student, of any ability, can do, so all kids have the same opportunity. And getting rewarded for showing up every day also is a good life lesson, parents said.
Keara Simpson, 11, of Bryan Elementary in Coeur d'Alene, said maintaining perfect attendance came with more than a new bike. She also got perfect grades.
Her mom, Salina Simpson, said she is "super proud."
Not able to wait until getting home, Keara rode her new bike around the lot.
Salina said "it wasn't like I did anything special" to help her daughter achieve perfect attendance. She really appreciated the sponsors getting kids motivated.
"It's a great job by Parker" and Horace Mann, she said.
Cooper Haney, 12, of Betty Kiefer Elementary, said he planned to take his new bike on the Hiawatha trail this summer break.
He joked that his parents almost ruined his perfect attendance at least a couple times.
"I stopped them from going on vacation," he said.
Randy Colee, whose son, 12-year-old Brendan Colee of John Brown Elementary in Rathdrum, scored perfect attendance and left with a new bike, said, "It's a great program these guys (Parker and Horace Mann) do."
Brendan said his older brother got a free bike several years ago, and that made him want to match that accomplishment.
He plans to hit the trails near his home.
The PASS program began in 2005. That year, 46 bikes were awarded. Since then, each year, the program has awarded between 145 and 210 bikes to students.