In the gymnasium at Booker T. Washington Elementary School on Wednesday, a dozen excited students helped assemble new bikes to encourage exercise, teach teamwork and promote pride.

The build-a-bike event was an initiative of Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community, a nonprofit working to make Suffolk a healthier city.

Target donated the brand new bikes, which were selected based on the height, weight and gender of each recipient.

Bike recipients were selected from among students at the Title I school based on attendance, grades and discipline.

“What a great Thanksgiving gift!” Principal David Reitz said.

Guidance counselor Denise Singleton, who worked with the principal on the selection process, said Reitz had been announcing the bike event “practically every day, to keep them on track.”

So Wednesday was payday for the hardworking kids. The smiles were broad when they learned of their success by being ushered into the gym, where the boxed bikes were arranged on the floor.

The next step was putting the bikes together. Each student was paired with a community volunteer, who came armed with tools. Volunteers were from the Western Tidewater Medical Reserve Corps, Suffolk Fire and Rescue, Birdsong Peanuts, five different Hampton Roads car clubs and Edwards Transmissions.

Each student also received a new helmet, donated by The Lynn A. Chiaverotti Memorial Fund of the Brain Injury Association of America.

Bobbie Chapman, the partnership’s interim executive director, said the aim was to have the students as involved as possible in assembling the bikes.

“The volunteers are going to reinforce bike safety as well as helping build the bike,” she said.

“We want children to have a sense of accomplishment, and encourage them and their parents to take the bike out and use it in the fresh air.”

Chapman said the partnership would follow up with parents to confirm the bikes were being used.

“This project was written to promote getting up and moving to children — the importance of exercise, being outside and being fit,” she said.