Tag: Adaptive Bikes
Three-Thousand Reasons to Smile
BIKE #3,000 given to Jude on PITTSBURGH TODAY LIVE!
There was a lot to celebrate last Thursday, as we presented adaptive bike #3,000 to JUDE & #3,001 to PAISLEY, and hit one historic milestone for the My Bike® Program!
Even more special, we got to present the history-making bikes alongside our My Bike founding sponsor, Highmark and our incredible mobility partners, Blackburn’s – both of whom have been instrumental to our impact!
Paisley’s joy was a stand-out as she “honked” along riding her new bike for the first time, and you can watch the short video by clicking here.
When Variety kicked off My Bike in 2012, we hoped to sponsor 100 adaptive bikes, so it means the world that we have now surpassed 3,000 bikes (worth more than $5.5 million) thanks to the ongoing support of so many!
Don’t miss enjoying ALL the joy and impact from Thursday:
- Pittsburgh Today Live highlights official presentation of Bike #3,000 to Jude LIVE
- KDKA and KidsBurgh – presenting Bikes #3,000 and #3,001 and reach historic milestone
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Goodness section) – Children take spin on bikes no. 3,000 & 3,001
Now, there are 3,001 Reasons to Smile!
But, receiving an adaptive bike is only the beginning…
After receiving his new bike, Jude’s mom, Megan kindly sent us the above photo and a beautiful message of joy, “Just wanted to share a picture of Jude on his first ride in the neighborhood with his brothers!”
A Decade of Riding Adaptive Bikes in the Labor Day Parade!
Baseball Nights at Washington Wild Things & Altoona Curve
A “Peak Moment” Experience at the Washington Wild Things
Tuesday, June 23rd was an evening full of peak moments for 3 Variety kids and their families who got to spend the night together at the Washington Wild Things Game! Julia and her sister, Jillian even got to throw out the First Pitch to kickoff the game, and they were extraordinary!
After the game, Julia’s mom shared, “We had a blast at the game! I think I’ve shown everyone we know Julia’s first pitch video. Her therapists absolutely loved seeing it, then Julia would begin therapy with the biggest smile from listening & seeing herself throw again. I can’t thank you all enough for this experience!”
Mason’s mom also shared a message of joy, saying, “Mason had an incredible time at the game, and it was truly a memorable evening for our entire family. Your generosity provided us with a much-needed and enjoyable outing. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and the positive impact you have on our lives.”
Altoona Curve Hosts Presentation & Experience
In partnership with the Altoona Curve, we presented 9 adaptive bikes and 4 adaptive strollers at last night’s Altoona Curve game, and it was spectacular!
Bailey received her new pink adaptive bike, and her mom, Katherine explained, “With an adaptive bike of her own, Baylee will finally be able to go out and ride bikes with all of us! She can be like her big brother and sister without having to wonder why she’s the only one not riding a bike. This will bring our family closer together!”
Don’t miss reading and watching this media coverage that will surely make you smile:
Read Altoona Mirror’s article at https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2024/08/sweet-ride
Watch all the joy that was captured by WTAJ-TV at https://www.wtaj.com/news/local-news/adaptive-equipment-presented-to-9-central-pennsylvania-kids-with-disabilities/
Bogey, Birdie, Par, Putt – FOUR!
Beaver County Young Lawyer’s Golf Outing: June 14, 2024
This was the 10th Year that the Beaver County Young Lawyers sponsored equipment for Beaver County kids from their annual golf outing, and we are SO grateful for their ongoing support!
Khloe received her new adaptive bike, and her mom, Brittany shared why the equipment means so much, “I imagine it’s not easy to grow up in a world that’s not adapted to your needs. I also imagine, even though she can’t talk, Khloe feels left out when other kids around her are doing ‘kid things’ like riding bikes.
With her disability she does not understand or have the capability to ride a traditional bike, but every child should have a bike, disabled or not. With Khloe’s new adaptive bike, it will let her have the opportunity to simply be a kid and ride bikes. We love to go on family outings and now Khloe will have a bike to ride alongside her sister, and Khloe can be one of the kids!”
Since 2014, BCYL have sponsored 22 pieces of equipment, including 19 adaptive bikes, 2 communication devices, and 1 stroller (worth nearly $40,000 in equipment).
Mason’s Movement Golf Outing: May 11, 2024
Since 2020, we’ve been fortunate to partner with the Mason’s Movement Foundation, and this year, we got to present an adaptive bike at their annual golf outing!!
Everyone celebrated Ronnie, who received his new adaptive bike at the event, and his dad, Michael explained his hope with the equipment, “This adaptive bike will help strengthen his legs, help him get outside and handout with his friends, help him appropriately use his arms and legs. This special bike gives us fun ways to spend time together as a family on the bike trails, so we’re very excited!”
We’re so grateful for everything Mason’s Movement does to help those in need, and we hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about their work here.
Variety’s 2024 Golf Outing & Clay Shoot Event: June 3, 2024
Variety’s 2024 event was a big success, and we couldn’t have done it without the generosity and participation of so many incredible partners (see all our 2024 sponsors here)! A special thanks to Ron Lewis Automotive for sponsoring another bike at our reception!!
Save-the-date for next year’s event on June 2, 2025 at Longue Vue Club!
More Memories for Sawyer
Sawyer’s new adaptive stroller means MORE MEMORIES, as his mom, Shayna shared with us,
“Having an adaptive stroller for my son means being able to make more memories by going to more places! It means not worrying about walking too far or too long before my son gets too tired to walk. He is growing out of his regular toddler stroller and has exceeded the weight limit. My son loves to get out and explore new places, and this stroller will be the most ideal and comfortable thing for him!”
BONUS PHOTO of Sawyer’s bike fitting (the last step before ordering the equipment), where it’s easy to see how much he loved testing out an adaptive bike!
Joy Shines from Heather w/ New Bike
We were so grateful to share in Heather’s smile and joy, as she received her new adaptive bike! Even more so, Heather surprised us with a truly generous donation to sponsor a bike for another child through Giving the Gift of Sight!!
Her mom, Sarah shared what this bike means,
“My hope for this bike is to grow both Heather’s strength and confidence. She struggles with weak muscles in her legs and core, so providing her with a safe method of exercise will greatly benefit her.
I think the bike will not just help her overall health, but also make it easier for her to participate in different activities with family and friends. Even some of the activities she does now will be more enjoyable for her with the bike, such as gardening and making cheese (requiring extended periods of standing in one spot).”
Thanks to Variety’s My Bike® Program, Heather has can experience the joy, freedom, and inclusion through riding her own adaptive bike!
Charlie’s New Adaptive Bike!
Charlie’s joy was out of this world, as he tested out his new adaptive bike for the first time!
His mom, Robin shared what it means,
“This bike not only gives my son independence and confidence, it also helps him to build very important muscles that right now he has difficulty building.
Seeing Charlie on this bike is such a positive opportunity not just for him, but for our family!
He has been through so much for being such a young child and each day remains positive no matter the challenge. He is an inspiration!”
Thanks to Variety’s My Bike® Program, Charlie now has his own adaptive bike and a new-found freedom!
Variety at Little League World Series Parade!
On Monday night, three kids got to ride their adaptive bikes in the 17th Grand Slam Parade in Williamsport, PA to kick-off the Little League World Series!
It was a magical chance for the kids to participate, be celebrated, and simply, show their abilities to the world.
Several years ago, when we first expanded into the Williamsport region, former Governor Tom Corbett (Variety Board President) immediately had the idea for the kids to ride their adaptive bikes in the LLWS parade, but it was put on hold due to the pandemic.
This idea was fully realized alongside our partners at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, who made it possible for us to participate in the parade.
Don’t miss this brief story from FOX-56 on what a milestone it is for the kids to be included: https://fox56.com/news/local/adaptive-bikes-bring-joy-and-inclusion-for-local-children-at-parade-highlighting-life-changing-initiative#
Next year, we hope even more kids can be included in the Grand Slam Parade on their bikes AND strollers.
A big thanks to Governor Corbett for making the journey out to Williamsport to participate with us and enjoy the celebration.
During the parade, we got to spend time with Michelle, whose daughter, Mikki received all 3 pieces of equipment from Variety (pictured above with Governor Corbett and myself).
Michelle explained that Mikki does so great in school with her communication device, but at home, Michelle doesn’t know how to use it with her.
As a result, Michelle still doesn’t know what Mikki wants, what she needs, what she’s thinking… When I asked her if a training would be beneficial to her to utilize the device at home, she immediately said yes.
We are hopeful we can be the catalyst for trainings for Michelle, and other families, who need more training to empower their child to communicate as fully as possible.
A Great Week for KIDS!
Variety hit the road last week to present more than 20 adaptive bikes and adaptive strollers to local kids – and there’s too much joy to share!
In partnership with BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 and The Pennsylvania College of Technology, we saw a lot of smiles last Tuesday in Williamsport, Pa. – including RYLEIGH!
Ryleigh received her new PINK adaptive bike and adaptive stroller (above), and her mom, Anastasia explained,
“We have been working with Ryleigh on her standard bike, but all the motor planning involved to be able to ride a bike seems to be where she is struggling. She has gotten so frustrated with her bicycle that she won’t even try to get on it anymore…
It is heartbreaking for her, and us, when she sees her twin brother, Gregory and the other kids in the neighborhood riding bikes together and she isn’t able to ride anything with them.
Having an adaptive bike will now give her a way to feel included, give her exercise, and help her master all the skills necessary to be able to ride a bike.
Ryleigh also struggles with endurance, and being able to walk for long distances or long periods of time. I often end up carrying her in situations like these, so having an adaptive stroller will allow us to go more places and be able to give her the breaks she needs.”
In partnership with the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 and the Berwick School District, we experienced even more joy last Wednesday in Berwick, Pa. – including MALANI!
After Malani received her new adaptive bike (above), her mom, Nicole wrote to us and shared,
“From the bottoms of our heart, THANK you for allowing Malani to be just like the other kids in our neighborhood. She will enjoy riding her bike with everyone else this summer, and just being a “regular kid”. The way she lit up today brought tears to my heart.”
This is a short video from Nicole capturing Malani’s pure joy – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/445mXSpod6U
Don’t miss these news stories from last week that captured some truly beautiful moments:
- WNEP TV (3/7): Adaptive bikes given to kids
- FOX56 TV (3/8): Equipment for kids with disabilities
- WNEP TV (3/8): Adaptive bikes donated to students in Berwick
- Williamsport Sun Gazette (3/8): Area children get ‘life changing’ adaptive equipment
- Press Enterprise (3/9): Riding high on custom bikes
Thanks for being a part of the Variety community, where it’s ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!
Big Smiles for Gia
Gia’s smile was a sight to see, as she tested out her new adaptive bike! It was her second after outgrowing her first bike, and Gia’s mom, Daria explained how important it is for her daughter, by saying,
“Gia was gifted her first bike in Kindergarten and she was thrilled. Her adaptive tricycle allowed her to not only exercise, but also actively participate with her sister.
At first she needed quite a bit of help steering and paying better attention, but she is gradually improving. Our hope is that she can learn to fully steer on her own and of course safely exercise as well.
We also believe when she is able to ride the bike completely on her own she will gain a tremendous amount of confidence that will hopefully spill over into other aspects of her life.”
At the presentation, Gia’s dad, Doug told us, “This bike is another form of exercise for her! We have a treadmill at home, but the bike is much more enjoyable for Gia (and fun). She outgrew her other adaptive bike right when she was getting the hang of steering it, so when we found out we could get a second one, we instantly applied!”
Program Updates & Some Good News!
We’re thrilled to share our updated program handout and program application for 2023 that include increased income guidelines!
I hope you’ll share these with families, peers, and others in your network/community that may benefit from our mobility and communication programs (or know someone else that can).
Our programs are truly impacting kids, like Zeke and Joanna, who are all smiles below on their new adaptive bikes!
Zeke is ready to ride on his new adaptive bike (above), and prior to receiving it, his mom, Katherine told us,
“Zeke would love to have more ways to play with other kids and do more ‘regular stuff’ (as he says). He often chooses to sit out because he feels he won’t keep up. Being able to join in with bikes in the alley in a way he can do would be amazing.
His balance, endurance, strength, and coordination would make a standard bike extremely challenging, but an adaptive bike would be a great option for him. Zeke’s adaptive stroller has let us do SO much more in the community and has really eased medical appointments – we’re excited to see how he will grow from having a bike!”
Smile along with Joanna and her family (below)!
Before receiving her new set-of-wheels, Joanna’s parents, Julia and Jason shared how much this new bike means, by saying,
“Joanna has an older brother and two younger sisters. Her sisters are learning how to ride independently, and she wants to be able to ride with them. We’ve tried several different tricycles, but haven’t found one that works efficiently for her. An adaptive bike that is fitted just for her will not only help her continue to gain strength but also confidence and independence, while joining her siblings in an activity that they love.”
Both bikes for Zeke and Joanna were generously sponsored via funds raised by Al’s Bike Drive, which sponsored 10 bikes altogether!!