The receding snow banks are creating inviting sidewalks, and which kid’s first response is not “where’s my bike?” Children with physical disabilities want to ride just as much as any child, and they should. Sadly, adaptive trikes are far too rarely covered by Medicaid or insurance, even with a strong case for the therapeutic benefits of cycling.
Thankfully, there is a growing list of great organizations that recognize this gap between kids and adaptive bikes. Friendship Circle’s Great Bike Giveaway is one. They use social media to run a contest where families can enter their child to receive a free bike. It’s a beautiful yearly event, and we try to support with donated bikes every year. In a perfect world we’d love to be able to give away every trike we make, but we can’t. All the more we are heartened when we see local communities and neighborhoods close that gap.
So when we received a phone call from a news channel in St. Augustine, Florida, we were thrilled to hear about that community’s efforts to raise enough money for one of their own children who was not a lucky winner in the GBG contest. Contractors, a local biking group, and folks who wish to remain anonymous have all contributed.
This kind of community and neighborhood activity is beautiful to see, and could be replicated in every city. Whenever we become aware of it we try to find ways to show our support, usually by offering special pricing to aid in the fundraising effort. It’s always heartening to see a community rally around a child with special needs – it’s great for the community, but it’s positively life-changing for the child – and we say thank God for the spirit of community!
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