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Refugee Students Will Be Riding In Style To School

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Some students in Aurora now have a better way to get to school. Instead of walking to class, they'll ride new bikes.

It was a packed house in a room at the Martin Luther King Library Saturday. High school students gathered to receive free bicycles to ride to school instead of walking.

"It's too hard for us. We need to study in our school all day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. If we walk, it's too tired," refugee student Brakass Gsimii said.

The students are refugees from India and other countries in South Asia. Most of their parents can't afford a car and many live too close to school to be assigned a bus route. A free bike is just what they need.

"We are happy about that. We are really glad about that. If we get a bicycle we can reach school really fast and it will be easier for us," refugee student Sagar Luitel said.

The bicycles were donated by Sewa International. It's a local nonprofit organization of refugees that were once in the same position. The organization's mission is simple -- serve others.

"It feels really happy and empowered because we are empowering these kids to be successful in what they're doing," Krishna Vai Dyanathan with Sewa International said. "They came from a long way reaching here and we want them to be successful and go to school and be educated."

One by one the organizations blessed the bikes, throwing flower petals on the seats. Then each child's name was called to receive their new set of wheels along with a helmet, lock, pump and bus pass.

Encouragement from those that came before them is helping them succeed. The leaders donated much of the cost of the bikes with some help.

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