The Full Story
December 19, 2024 | Event Date: 11/19/24
Written by Allison Oubre and Captured by Lani Hughes

36 Hours in Pennsylvania

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We’re excited to share some updates about our adaptive bike program! We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience for the families we serve. Typically, when we secure funding, we can get a bike to a child within about eight weeks. The challenge is always the funding — if we have it, we jump right into action, but without it, the timeline can stretch.

This past October, we were thrilled to receive a generous grant from the Foxwynd Foundation DAF, which is set to make a huge difference for children in Pennsylvania and beyond. With the winter months and holiday season approaching, we wasted no time contacting families with the exciting news and ordering bikes right away. We wanted to make the bike handover special, so we decided to do a group presentation with the Foxwynd Foundation.

We found the perfect venue at the Chester County United Way, which is centrally located for all the families and has ample space for the kids to ride around. The stars aligned on Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, when all families, physical therapists, and our team were available to come together. We shipped the bikes to the United Way, flew into Pennsylvania, and assembled everything on the day of the event. We presented six bikes to families who had been eagerly waiting for their children’s first bike. The smiles on their faces were priceless.

Our group included kids aged 4 to 13, and they had varying levels of mobility and communication, but the joy was universal. Whether pedaling on their own or with a little help from mom or dad steering, the happiness was palpable. It was AMAZING!

After wrapping up the event, we took a moment to reflect on the day and how fortunate we are to connect with so many families, therapists, donors, and volunteers through our program. We hopped on a flight back to Louisiana the next morning, already looking forward to helping the next group of kids and celebrating 16 incredible years of the McLindon Family Foundation.