Children with special needs receive adaptive bikes
Photos: Paul Paterra
Janson Whoolery, 6, of Smithfield, tries out his new bike Thursday.
Paul Paterra
Randy Prunty, of Blackburn Medical Equipment, demonstrates how to use a bike. (Photos by Paul Paterra)
Paul Paterra
Paul Paterra
Khloe Faler, 17, of Mercer County, beams after receiving her new bike. Pictured with her is Randy Prunty of Blackburn Medical Supplies.
Paul Paterra
Gauge Stoyer, 6, of Charleroi, is strapped into his new bike.
Paul Paterra
Paul Paterra
Charlie LaVallee, CEO of Variety 鈥� The Children鈥檚 Charity
Smiles beamed from faces of some children at Intermediate Unit 1 Thursday, and for good reason.
The youngsters received adaptive bikes and strollers at the school in Coal Center through Variety 鈥� the Children鈥檚 Charity鈥檚 My Bike program.
Variety, with its motto, 鈥淗elping Kids Be Kids,鈥� strives to give children with disabilities a chance to discover the possibilities for their own lives, and truly be a kid.
Charlie LaVallee, CEO of Variety, said the My Bike program began in 2012, followed by My Voice in 2014, which provides communication devices. LaVallee, who is retiring at the end of the year, joked that there is a dispute as to what the letter 鈥淓鈥� in CEO stands for. In his mind, it stands for excitement.
鈥淚n total, through our partnership through Washington, Greene and Fayette counties (we鈥檝e donated) 514 pieces of equipment worth $786,000,鈥� LaVallee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a perfect partnership (with IU1). They know who the kids are. Through that, we鈥檝e been able to donate three-quarter of a million dollars worth of equipment in the three counties.鈥�
Variety 鈥� the Children鈥檚 Charity was founded in 1927 by a group of 11 men after finding an abandoned baby named Catherine at the Sheridan Square Theater in Pittsburgh. Recognizing the challenges the child faced, they established Variety to assist less fortunate children.
Ten children were recipients of adaptive bikes or strollers Thursday.
鈥淭hese students have been deemed eligible to receive equipment that opens up their lives,鈥� said Kristin Szewczyk, assistant executive director of IU1. 鈥淚t provides them with access they have not had previously. They can go out and spend time with their families in the community. This provides them access to all of those activities we take for granted. It equals the playing field for them so they can be just like every other kid.鈥�
鈥淭hey feel so good that they鈥檝e mastered it,鈥� LaVallee added. 鈥淭hey feel great about themselves. We got the kids off the porch. They don鈥檛 have to watch anymore.鈥�
Randy Prunty, of Blackburn Medical Equipment, demonstrated how to get the bikes ready to ride and how to assemble and disassemble them so they can be transported.
Then came the moment the excited children were waiting for: the chance to ride their bikes.
After they were strapped in, they paraded down a small hallway at the intermediate unit, again sporting those smiles.
LaVallee stressed that many My Voice devices are also available. They provide children with communication disorders the chance to have their own voice.
鈥淭hese are students that otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have the means to communicate,鈥� Szewczyk said about My Voice. 鈥淏ecause of that device, they have a voice now. Being able to communicate is the fundamental right of being human. Everybody deserves to have a means to communicate.鈥�
LaVallee told those in attendance that while the efforts of Variety 鈥� the Children鈥檚 Charity may change the lives of the children, those on the receiving end also have an impact on their benefactors.
鈥淭he kids have changed us by watching their joy on those bikes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a better person than I was before I met them.鈥�