Korsgard Honored for ‘Elves & More’ Efforts

Ryan Korsgard is a six-time Ironman triathlete. The Oklahoma Baptist University alum competed in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in 2006. Competing and riding his bicycle has taken him around the world. Now Korsgard wants to see bicycles from the Elves & More foundation in Houston, Texas, help at-risk kids in their challenging environments.

Korsgard is 1994 OBU grad who has taken time out of his busy professional and personal life to help those in needs during the Christmas season. A part of Houston's KPRC-TV LOCAL 2 news team, the Emmy award-winning reporter is known for providing many compelling stories about the foundation's work. He also seizes the opportunity to lend a helping hand as an Elves & More volunteer.

For his efforts as both a reporter and a volunteer, Korsgard was honored at the Elves & More Bicycle Ball in September.

"I believe these free bikes can help expand the opportunities for kids in challenging environments with little hope," Korsgard said.

Elves & More plans to give away its 100,000th bicycle in 2009. Last year, Korsgard reported as 225 delivery trucks took 20,000 bicycles to 30 neighborhoods in the Greater Houston area. The goal of the foundation is to provide bicycles to underprivileged children to enable them to get to after-school events, tutors, mentors and jobs. The organization reaches out to an eight-county area where an estimated 300,000 children live in poverty.

"A few years ago, we made an important discovery," the Elves & More Web site reports. "We learned that by giving bicycles to impoverished children, we could dramatically change their lives by helping them stay in school and out of trouble while improving their health."

A native of Duncan, Okla., Korsgard began his broadcasting career when he was 16 years old at an ABC television affiliate in Lawton, Okla. Since graduating from OBU, he has been a reporter and news anchor at television stations in Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas.