Each December for the past 19 years, Variety the Children’s Charity of Detroit has presented more than 150 bicycles annually, complete with lock and safety helmet, to children across Southeastern Michigan through dedicated partnerships with local service organizations. The children and their families attend a wonderful holiday party, complete with bike presentation, music and dancing, inflatables, face painting, balloon artists, food and drink, an appearance from “PAWS” of The Detroit Tigers, and parting toys for the children and their siblings. It is a celebratory evening for all—made all the more beautiful by the inclusion of prescriptively modified bikes for children with special needs.
In 2016, the Variety family met Kinsley. At age six, Kinsley is a bright-eyed and inquisitive little girl. Challenged from birth by Spina Bifida, Kinsley maneuvers through life with incredible tenacity and fearlessness. Though her mobility is confined to her wheelchair, her heart leads the way as she explores the people and places around her. More than anything, Kinsley desired her own bicycle to allow her the freedom to ride alongside her older brother.
With great pleasure, Variety of Detroit raised funds to provide Kinsley with an adaptive hand-cycle in her favorite color—purple! For the next six to eight years, Kinsley will enjoy the mobility, freedom, and independence that she craves with her new bike, and she has wasted no time since its arrival. Every day after school, Kinsley and her brother ride alongside friends, moving happily through each afternoon—side by side.
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