St. Louis kids with disabilities receive early Christmas with adaptive bikes

From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In the picture, Daunte Thomas, 5, who has spina bifida checks out Santa Claus, left, as he takes a ride on the specialized therapeutic bike he received.

Dana Moyer of Mascoutah has looked forward to her 6-year-old daughter, Olivia Moyer, riding a bicycle. Her dream came true Nov. 14 when Olivia, who has cerebral palsy, received a custom-made bike from the Variety Club.

"This is important for Olivia," said Moyer. "The bike gets her better mobility on her legs and independence."

The club, a children's charity, also gave bikes to 275 other disabled and underprivileged children Nov. 14 at the Whitfield School in Creve Coeur.

Friends and families of the children, along with volunteers from area businesses and schools, assembled the bikes.

Barb Kramer, program director for the club, said her group worked with 85 area agencies to give the children bicycles. Some of the families thought that getting a bicycle for their children "would never happen because of their (children's) disability, or it is not affordable," Kramer said.

The 145 volunteers — some of whom had never done that task before — took two hours to piece the bikes together.

Tricia Whelan volunteered with some cyclist friends and her daughter Sarah, a student at Whitfield.

Children with physical and mental disabilities were given the custom-made bikes, whose costs range from $1,500 to $3,000. Among them were 22 specialized therapeutic bikes built by Creative Mobility of St. Charles, Ill.

Mackenzie Sanders, 6, has spina bifida and had never been able to ride a bike. When she received her therapeutic bike at the event, she tried to jump in her seat and clapped out loud. Her mother, Gina Sanders of High Ridge, was pleased that her daughter can now ride a bike with other children.

Kramer of the Variety Club said that about 110 children remained on a waiting list for bicycles.