For Ironton Middle School fifth-grader Halli Hall, the bike must have seemed like a gift from heaven.

"I used to ride my bike every day but then it got stolen," Halli said as she ran her hand over her new bike. And all she had to do to get that new bike was eat breakfast.

Last year the Ironton City School system began offering free breakfast for students in kindergarten through the sixth grade.

Breakfast is offered to junior and senior high school students but they must pay for it.

This year school officials wanted to boost the number of kids taking advantage of the district's breakfast program, so they instituted an incentives program that awards younger students with new bicycles and junior and senior high school students with free gift certificates.

Food Service Supervisor Sharon Hackworth said the free breakfast program is one way of promoting

healthier eating habits.

"It's proven that children who eat breakfast don't make as many trips to the nurse's office during the day and tend to do better in class," Hackworth said. "They feel better, and it's good for them."

A grant is providing funding for the bikes and gift certificates.

Along with Hall, middle school student Blake Owens also won a bike Thursday. At Kingsbury Elementary, the winners were

Shyanne Wilson and Josh Allen, while at Whitwell Elementary,

Chloe Miller and Chase McFann took home the bikes.

At West Ironton, kindergartners

Kara Spencer and Jonathon Bowman won new wheels.

At the junior high and high schools,

$100 Finish Line gift certificate went to Gage Murphy and Tenneill Young.