MITCHELL– NASCAR Cup Series driver and Mitchell native Chase Briscoe donated more than 700 Huffy bicycles to two elementary schools in his hometown on Monday, December 18, 2023. Students from Hatfield Elementary School and Burris Elementary School received the bikes from Briscoe at school-wide celebrations held at each elementary school.
The donation, which provided each elementary school child in the Mitchell School District a brand new Huffy bike, was made possible by Chase Briscoe and the Gene Haas Foundation, who sourced bikes through the Huffy Foundation, which provides quality crafted bicycles to charitable organizations to help them serve their communities through putting more children and families on bikes.
“I grew up riding a Huffy around Mitchell. Some of my best memories are hanging out with my friends, cruising around town, or racing through the chalk track I laid in the driveway. I want these kids to feel the same sense of freedom and exploration I had when I was their age,” said Chase Briscoe. “I’m thankful to have great partners like the Gene Haas Foundation and Huffy Bicycles who helped me make these kids’ dreams come true!”
The hundreds of donated bikes were assembled by high school students and local businesses – who gave workers a paid day to go and assemble bikes – at the brand new field house at Mitchell Junior High. Student participation didn’t end there as the Mitchell High School IT Team, with the help of Abbie Briscoe, Chase’s sister, who works for the school’s IT Department, created a barcode for each donated bike that included the student’s name and bike that they were receiving so the school could easily confirm that families received their bike and officially take it out of their “inventory,” making for a smooth and seamless pickup process for families. For those unable to pick up their bike at the school, volunteers in the Mitchell School District volunteered to serve as bike deliverers to take bikes to students’ homes.
In addition to Abbie, Chase’s entire family was also involved in the bike donation. His mother, Jamie, is the PE teacher at Burris Elementary, and his dad, Kevin, his wife, Marissa, and their son, Brooks, were also present for the day.
“We’re honored to receive this remarkable gift of bicycles from Chase Briscoe and the Haas Foundation. Chase has given these kids possibly the best holiday they will ever have,” said Dr. Brent Comer, Superintendent of the Mitchell School District. “For them to not only get a gift, but for it to be a bike they can be active and explore the world with. It’s invaluable. Chase has also taught the kids an important lesson about taking care of your community in any way possible, whether making a big donation or helping your neighbors around the garden.”
During the event, eight-year-old BMX Champion Huck Kurinsky of Bay Village, Ohio, who is also a Huffy youth ambassador, along with his coach, Olympian and American Freestyle BMX cyclist Nick Bruce of Youngstown, Ohio, showed off their Freestyle BMX skills getting serious air during their demonstration.
“Chase embodies everything Huffy stands for: family, fun, and living the ride,” said Vice President of Brand and DTC Marketing United Wheels, Kris Parlett. “It’s a great feeling to have a small part in this donation to help bring bikes to kids, which is at the core of what we do. Riding a bike is not only a great way for kids to get physical exercise, but can also help with mental wellness, and nothing gives a child the sense of freedom that riding a bike can.”
Briscoe’s relationship with Huffy began in 2020 when the COVID pandemic halted on-track action in NASCAR, and the series pivoted to virtual competitions on the popular iRacing simulated motorsports platform. Noticing his fit with the Huffy brand and incredible background story, the company partnered with Briscoe for the virtual events and has continued to build on the relationship over the past three years. Briscoe continues to advocate for the benefits of riding a bike. He and his family have regularly been seen riding their Huffy bikes and battery-powered ride-ons.
