Tag: Children with Disabilities
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!
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!
Liam’s Summer Adventures w/ Adaptive Stroller!
“I wanted to make sure that we shared how absolutely life-changing Liam’s adaptive stroller has been for our family, and I wanted to share photos from our adventures this summer!
The stroller has opened up opportunities for us that I hadn’t even anticipated… We have been able to go on outings as family and feel secure in the fact that Liam is safe and comfortable.
We are now able to eat at restaurants as a family, go on walks as a family, and Liam EVEN went fishing for the first time in his life because of his stroller!
Most people don’t consider the isolation that special needs families go through, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for improving not only Liam’s life, but mine too.
From Liam and our entire family, we thank you!!”
KDKA News Highlights Elopement & Impact of Stroller
In terms of having an immediate impact on a child’s life, and the lives of their whole family, an adaptive stroller has been critical, especially for kids with elopement issues.
However, the need for this equipment, as well as the impact it can have are invisible to the majority of us – e.g. this isn’t your typical toddler stroller.
Don’t miss this transformative news story by KDKA’s Kristine Sorensen that features Kristin, mother of Kolton, who intimately shares the impact of an adaptive stroller with us all.
Pittsburgh-area family credits charity with life-changing device – click the link to watch and share.
The story also features Dr. Alan Kohrt, former Board Member, American Academy of Pediatrics, who provided striking data and expertise on kids with elopement issues (see below).
Thank you for being a part of the Variety community, where IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!
P.S. You can help us spread the word that My Stroller exists by sharing this story with your network – https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/variety-the-childrens-charity-pittsburgh-life-changing-devices/
Joey Experienced Fall w/ Adaptive Stroller
Amanda recently detailed how her son’s adaptive stroller ensured that Joey didn’t miss out on experiencing his favorite time of the year, the FALL!
Amanda began by explaining some of the heart break along Joey’s journey, but the ending is truly all smiles for their whole family – don’t miss reading to the end.
We’re so grateful to Amanda, who shared with us,
“Halloween, or maybe just everything ‘Fall’ related, has always been Joey’s favorite time of the year!
He loves the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, apple picking, leaf covered trails, etc.
However, Joey was diagnosed with brain cancer at 5, and his life -saving treatments affected his ability to walk.
Although, he is making great strides with rehabilitation, it’s a very long journey and Joey continues to remain wheelchair-bound at 7 years old.
We tried a simple pumpkin patch last year, with Mom bearing the brunt of the piggy back rides! Fortunately for Joey, he continues to grow as a normal child would. Unfortunately for mom, Joey is heavy!!
Honestly, I didn’t think we would ever be able to navigate Joey’s favorite season/holiday again.
Fall Festivals, especially in hilly Western PA, just aren’t wheelchair friendly beyond the farmer markets…..
We cannot thank you enough for Joey’s stroller that he received in August!
We’ve been to fields, on gravel, and even walked to the local pond with his class.
Today, we ventured to a Fall Festival!!”
Joey’s mom further explained why an adaptive stroller impacts their entire family, by saying,
“Joey’s adaptive stroller helps us navigate terrain that is more difficult for his wheelchair. It allows Joey to attend his brother’s sporting events easier, since many soccer fields are difficult for wheelchairs.
In addition, the stroller helps his grandparents take him places, since the stroller is easier for lifting into their vehicles, and it can fit!
The stroller also helps Joey’s older brother navigate Joey to fun places and not always have to rely on mom and dad to do the pushing!”
With more than 100 applications in-process for kids that need their own adaptive stroller, your support has never been greater for this program.
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.
“My son elopes all the time…”
Our work truly revolves around experiencing each family’s needs, fears, and daily challenges first-hand.
For instance, we often hear about kids that are “elopers” or runners, and have no awareness of their own safety or surroundings – forcing many families to be trapped inside their houses out of fear because they don’t have a way to keep their child safe.
We fully take in each family’s stories, and they are the real heroes in this work, but we are fortunate provide something tangible to help make life easier, like an adaptive stroller!
Recent recipient Declan is pictured above in his new adaptive stroller, and to fully take in how much the equipment means, please read what his mom, Petra shared,
“My son, Declan, is 5 years old and has a tendency to elope all the time, and it is very hard to keep him contained.
He likes to run off and keep running.
He has even escaped our home before, and we now have to keep a clamshell on all the outside door knobs.
When we are out and about, he walks with me while I hold his hands, but he still often runs off very quickly.
It has often been hard to go on walks, especially in places with heavy traffic or lots of people.
He’s too big for any typical stroller, so I’ve been searching for some type of stroller that fits him and can keep him safe/comfortable.
His therapist introduced me the My Stroller Program, and I thought… how perfect this equipment will be.”
With Declan’s new adaptive stroller, he will be able to go anywhere in the community and be safe!!
