Children’s Charity to expand ‘My Bike’ program
U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy presentes an adaptive bike to Tyler Carpenter of Greene County during one of Variety’s many distribution events this past year.
Charles LaVallee, chief executive officer of Variety the Children’s Charity, is shown with adaptive bikes his charity gives to children with disabilities. This year, Variety donated 365 bikes to children in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and the charity plans to expand its benevolence to more counties next year.
Children with disabilities in Greene County are getting some freedom back and are gaining the resources that will enable them to have typical childhood experiences.
All of this is being done by Variety the Children’s Charity’s chapter in Pittsburgh, which has announced its geographic expansion and its noble plans for this upcoming year in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Variety is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world. One of its most impacting programs is the “My Bike” program, which provides families with disabled children adaptive bicycles.
Last summer, six Greene County children were able to experience the generosity and benevolence of First Federal Savings and Loan of Greene County and the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation as they pedaled down High Street on their new bikes for the very first time.
“This was a dream come true in itself,” said Charles LaVallee, CEO of Variety. “Our special needs kids are left out so much, and this gives them the opportunity to be a part of something.”
On Nov. 1, 2013, the “My Bike” program celebrated its one-year anniversary by throwing a gala at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh.
At the event, Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald, Highmark Health Plan president and Variety Board president Deborah Rice-Johnson, PNC senior vice president Andrea Carelli, Mountaineer Keystone LLC chairman and CEO and Variety board member Robert Kozel and LaVallee marked the one-year anniversary with the announcement of significant expansion in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and the opening of 75-plus adaptive bikes for children with disabilities.
“It (the expansion of the program) has become like a snowball going down a mountain,” said LaVallee. “It keeps picking up speed and showing this is something we should do for these kids.”
Within the first year of the program’s creation, 365 adaptive bikes were given to disabled children from 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Greene County. The adaptive bikes are sponsored through donors who raise the $1,800 needed to make each adaptive bicycle.
Large donors and partners in the Greene County area include Southwestern Regional Medical Center. First Federal Savings and Loan and PNC.
At the gala, Rice-Johnson announced that due to the success of the program within this first year, they would be expanding to Cambria, Crawford, Mercer and Somerset counties this upcoming year.
This is exciting news for the program, because with this expansion, they will be able to help more families in need.
According to LaVallee, half of the children who received a bike come from families with incomes below the 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which means they have very little disposable income.
A recent study by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health indicated there were more than 5,800 children who suffered from autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome in Variety’s 10-county service area that also meet the financial eligibility requirements for the “My Bike” program.
“If you have medical and supply bills and a lot of other expenses that come with having a child who is disabled, a bike becomes a total luxury,” said LaVallee.
At the gala, Variety launched its second year by giving Steven Pander from Lawrence County the 366th adaptive bicycle. The gala also lead to another 28 adaptive bikes being sponsored for the programs upcoming year giving the theme a total of 103 bikes now available.
“I think what’s happened is we listen with our heads and our hearts,” said LaVallee. “Realizing that through getting together, seeing the difference, realizing we can make a difference, believing that we can do it and seeing a child’s life be changed, that is how we get things done.”
During year two of the Variety “My Bike” program, it plans to give at least 14 adaptive bikes to disabled children in Greene County.
“We want every kid to feel normal. No matter is 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,” LaVallee said.
For more information about Variety and the “My Bike” program, visit www.varietypittsburgh.org.