Ride-a-Bike Day

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You Can Ride Too is a program that allows children with special needs to borrow adapted bicycles, giving them their first taste of the freedom of cycling. Please join us for our annual Ride-A-Bike day to celebrate the beginning of a new season of the You Can Ride Too adapted bike program.

Date: Friday March 7, 2014 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Broxton Park School, 505 McLeod Avenue, Spruce Grove

You Can Ride Too and the Canadian Paraplegic Association (Alberta) are partnering to host the annual Ride-A-Bike Day event. At this event, children can try out a number of different adapted bikes and families can speak to vendors and funding agencies.

Ride-A-Bike Day is open to all families and no appointment is required. Our focus this year is to increase bike options for preschool children and children requiring handcycles. On March 8, families will be able to borrow an adapted bike through You Can Ride Too for the summer. Borrowing is free for families, but requires registration.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM You Can Ride Too is an Edmonton-based partnership between pediatric physiotherapists, occupational therapists, the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society (EBC) and several other community agencies and charities.

http://youcanride2.ca http://edmontonbikes.ca/ycb2

BACKGROUND You Can Ride Too is a unique Edmonton-based program dedicated to giving children with special needs the experience of riding a bicycle.

  • Children ages 2 to 18 can borrow a bike for the summer months. During the winter bikes were made available to schools for children to use indoors.
  • This program is suitable for children who are unable to ride a two-wheeled bicycle due to physical or cognitive challenges. The borrow-a-bike program compliments EBC's special needs learn-to-ride (2-wheeled) program.
  • You Can Ride Too now has more than 60 adapted bicycles available for Edmonton and area families to borrow thanks to an $18 000 start up grant from President's Choice Children's Charities, a $25 000 donation from the Alberta Association of Insurance Adjustors this past fall, support from the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society, and donations from the community.
  • The cost of an adapted bike ranges from $500 to $ 5,000, depending on the specialized adaptations needed for each child. Many families are not able to afford this.
  • Studies show that physical activities such as riding a bike provide the benefits of exercise and the opportunity for children with special needs to socialize in integrated situations. Cycling builds strength, confidence, peer relationships and allows kids to have fun.
  • Ride-A-Bike Day marks the beginning of this year’s You Can Ride Too bike loan program: Friday, March 7, 2014 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Broxton Park School, 505 McLeod Avenue, Spruce Grove
  • We're expecting more than 25 families to attend Ride-A-Bike Day. Families can try out adapted bikes to find one that meets their needs, or parents can get advice from physiotherapists and bike mechanics on modifications to a current bike.