Bikes donated to six Greene County children
Jaden Hays of Graysville sits patiently on his new bike Wednesday while Nick Rossey with Blackburn’s Medical Supply Co. of Tarentum makes some last-minute adjustments. Jaden’s mother, Candi, steadies the bike as David Jones, left, executive director of the Greene County Memorial Hosptial Foundation, watches.
Katelyn Brown of Nemacolin shows her appreciation for her new bike by giving Chuck Trump, vice president of First Federal Savings and Loan of Greene County, a hug Wednesday. First Federal employees raised $1,800, enough to purchase one bike.
Six youngsters ride their new bikes in front of cheering First Federal employees Wednesday.
WAYNESBURG – The generosity of a local financial institution and a benevolent foundation was quite visible Wednesday as six children began to pedal down High Street on their brand new bikes for the very first time.
Employees of First Federal Savings and Loan of Greene County at its main office in Waynesburg and its Uniontown branch, along with the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation, presented the bikes they had purchased to six children with disabilities in the Greene County area.
Board members of the hospital foundation raised enough money to purchase five bikes, and the employees of First Federal raised enough for one bike.
The bikes were distributed to Charles Wolfe of Graysville, Dai Shan Silen of West Finley, Jaden Hays of Graysville, Katelyn Brown of Nemacolin, Rusty Herrick of Rogersville and Zory Cramer from New Freeport.
Chuck Trump, vice president at First Federal, and David Jones, executive director of hospital foundation, were at a Rotary Club of Waynesburg meeting where Charles LaVallee, chief executive officer of Variety, the children’s charity, gave a presentation on the “My Bike” program.
“His story touched me and apparently David as well, and I thought what a great thing for the employees to become involved in,” said Trump.
The “My Bike” program was created to provide adaptive bicycles for children with disabilities so they may acquire the freedom and joy that accompanies the experience of riding one’s own bike.
The program was officially kicked off in November, and was launched in Greene County in March.
To sponsor one adaptive bike through the program costs $1,800. The bike is then given to a child within the same district that has a disability.
“Not too many people can just write a check for $1,800, but when many people chip in, it becomes a much easier goal,” said LaVallee.
For First Federal Bank, that was their strategy.
To raise the money for one bike, many employees gathered their resources together and began working toward their goal using bake sales, gift basket raffles, wear your jersey to work for $5 campaign, a salad bar and other types of fundraising ideas to raise the $1,800 needed.
“It kept growing every day, and became something much bigger than I thought it ever would,” said Barb Galica, vice president of First Federal’s Uniontown branch, whose employees collected more than $900.
First Federal had agreed to match however much the employees raised on their own, but it did not have to contribute one penny due to the employees earning the full $1,800.
“I don’t normally struggle for words,” choked Trump as he watched Katelyn pedal her bike for the first time in the parking lot of First Federal. “You really feel like you have changed a kid’s life.”
Many people attending the event became emotional as they watch the kids laughing, singing and most important, riding their new bikes around the parking lot.
Zoey Cramer could be heard singing, “Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd.”
While other children kept exclaiming, “I did it! I am riding my bike,” and “Watch me, I am going really fast.”
Lily Beth Crow, mother of Dai Shan Silen, who was one of the recipients of an adaptive bike, could not thank Trump, Jones and LaVallee enough.
For 15 years of Dai’s life they had tried to teach him to ride a normal bike without any success.
“He was frozen before. He had no stability,” said Crow. “But now he has pride; he is doing something on his own. It just shows that dreams do come true.”
That pride and sense of accomplishment is what the “My Bike” program strives for.
“We want every kid to feel normal. No matter if a child has Down syndrome or autism or is normal, they all want that sense of freedom and pride, and that is what we are trying to give,” said LaVallee.
To donate to the “My Bike” program visit, www.varietypittsburgh.org.To apply for the “My Bike” program visit www.varietypittsburgh.org/MyBikeProgram.asp or call 412-747-2680.