Tag: Joe Biden
28 Kids Impacted at Labor Day Parade w/ Biden!
For the 5th year in a row, Variety was given the chance to participate in the Labor Day Parade through downtown Pittsburgh, and it was a record year for us! We had 28 Variety kids participate alongside more than 160 family members / partners.
With special thanks to the United Steelworkers’ Leo Gerard, our kids were personally greeted by former Vice President Joe Biden, which was a huge moment for everyone!
Steven was especially thrilled to see Biden once again, as he was featured on the front page of the New Castle News in 2015 when he got to meet the then Vice President at the Labor Day Parade.
Each of our kids braved the heat on Monday with a smile, as they were celebrated and cheered on by parade attendees. For Gabby, it was a significant day, as she hasn’t been able to ride a bike like she used to due to her battle with cancer. Riding her new bike in the parade on Monday was especially a big treat, since she had to get chemo treatment on Tuesday.
You might remember Gabby from a recent update. She was the 12-year old who couldn’t wait to “pop a wheeley in the middle of the street” on her new bike.
Both the TribLive and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured photos of our kids with the Biden, in case you want to check them out by clicking either link.
VP Biden & Making A Difference!
Three Variety kids (Jacob, Cody, and Tyler) and their families had the opportunity to meet and interact with Vice President Joe Biden on Monday, February 12th, while he was in Pittsburgh for his American Promise Tour.
Vice President Biden was absolutely fantastic with the kids, kneeling on one knee to directly look into their eyes as he was speaking to them, and affirming their worth and dignity. Jacob and Cody came to the event in their adaptive strollers that were given to them by Variety, as you see in the picture below.
Tyler and Jacob used their communication devices to talk with VP Biden and it was incredible!
Jacob even showed the VP a photo of him riding his adaptive bike, as well as a picture of his Mighty Pens sled hockey team. A couple weeks ago, Jacob had been playing in Canada with the Mighty Pens, and then this past weekend, they were in Ft. Wayne, where Jacob scored two goals / named the team MVP.
The Mighty Pens has been a fantastic experience for Jacob (and so many other kids).
VP Biden and Jacob had a wonderful interaction regarding black / gold rosary beads. Please see the photo below and story that I thought you all would find meaningful, especially as a continuation to Jacob’s journey and impact.
Jacob also used his communication device to pull up a picture of the Philadelphia Eagle’s logo, and to say through his device, “Congrats on the big win! Go Birds!”
In response, Vice President Biden told Jacob when he landed in Pittsburgh, a stranger approached him and said, “I know you’re deeply religious and Catholic, and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, but here in Pittsburgh, we have Nuns who make rosery beads in black / gold.” This stranger gave the Vice President a set of them.
Vice President gave those black / gold rosary beads to Jacob – something that he will always treasure.
Then, the Vice President told Jacob that he was making a difference (which is true, as Jacob has been an asset and ambassador to Variety to help us, help more kids).
Jacob’s brother, Evan told me this morning that as the Vice President was speaking and said he knew he wanted to make a difference with his life, but wasn’t sure how that would manifest itself – that Jacob was connecting in his mind at a deeper level that the Vice President of the United States was saying that HE wanted to make a difference, and told Jacob that JACOB was making a difference.
Evan went further, saying, that these words of the Vice President really reached into Jacob’s heart. Evan was touched so deeply because he saw that his brother Jacob was gaining a deeper understanding, and that he was given hope that he too could follow in the footsteps of the Vice President and make a difference – regardless of his disability.