Children of the Gila River Indian Community Receive New Wheels in Phoenix

August 4, 2009 — While in Phoenix for the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) Academy meeting at the end of July, the Leadership Development Group (LDG) and Academy attendees assembled and donated bicycles to benefit the Residential Program for Youth of the Gila River Indian Community. 

The bikes, constructed in a team-building exercise at the Academy, were then donated along with helmets and other bicycling gear to the youth program, which provides a safe haven for the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect, abuse or exploitation.

NPMA and the LDG donated a dozen bikes to the program, six for girls and six for boys. The bikes were given in support of the program’s commitment to engage children in daily activities that allow them to grow and develop in order to be healthy, productive and viable members of their community. The Pima tribe of the Gila River Indian Community has the highest documented rate of diabetes in the world.

“The bikes that our members built will help encourage Pima children to have fun and enjoy a more active lifestyle, which can help to prevent diabetes,” explained Rob Lederer, executive vice president of the NPMA.  “The National Pest Management Association, the Leadership Development Group, and the Academy participants are pleased to have this chance to give back to the Pima Community during our time here in Phoenix, and we thank the GRIC community for its hospitality.”

The GRIC owns and operates the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona, where NPMA’s Academy meeting was held from July 23-25, 2009.  To view photos from this community service event, visit www.npmapestworld.org and click on the Flickr logo.  

The LDG, an affiliate organization of the NPMA, is for the next generation of pest management professionals.  The LDG’s mission is to upgrade the professionalism of the pest management industry through the development of its emerging leaders.  In addition to the Academy, the LDG supports a mentoring program and numerous networking opportunities throughout the year.  For more information about the LDG and the Academy, visit www.npmapestworld.org/ldg.