Words cannot describe how thankful and blessed we are that Variety was there to help us get an adaptive bike for our 5 year old daughter. Our daughter Sarah has a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and her bike has benefited her socially and most of all physically. Thanks Variety. Sincerely. The Becker Family
Variety granted to my daughter a brand new, bright red adaptive bicycle which was delivered to us 2 weeks before Christmas! She has a severe form of cerebral palsy which affects all 4 of her limbs and makes outdoor play near impossible. Until she got a bike, we never really had a chance to explore our neighborhood. But now, 1.5 years later, we have made friends with many neighbors, we have discovered that my daughter really loves dogs (the best part of our daily rides...), we have used the bike to go Trick-or-Treating. We have taken the bike to many different parks & even to our neighborhood coffee shop. The bike is very memorable and we have also discovered that my daughter is very popular in our neighborhood; when out walking, many motorists that I do not recognize will wave to her emphatically. I can not speak enough words to express how very, very much this bike has meant to us! The gift of it has really given my daughter the world and all of it's seasons and weather.
I am honored to share my story about our experience with Variety. This wonderful organization helped by enabling us to get a handicap accessible ramp off a new addition we put on the back of our home for Ryan. The ramp will ensure that Ryan will be able to safely exit our home on a rdaily basis or during an emergency. We could not be more greatful to this superb group of people.
Thanks for everything,
The Logan Family
Variety helped my disabled son get an adaptive bike. I had searched for over a year trying to find some organization or grant to help me get a bike he could ride. It was heartbreaking to watch him drag a bike up and down the sidewalk infront of our home chasing after his siblings, wearing his helmet and yelling "Bike, bike!" They had an adaptive bike at is therapy sessions that he was doing great on but there is no way I could have afforded to purchase one myself.
When I found Variety I was apprehensive because the aplication process seemed so simple. I checked other sources online and through parents of disabled children and hospitals to make sure Variety was a reputable place. Once I felt confident enough, I put in my application and it was a long time before I heard back. I had even tried calling the phone number listed on their website to see if my application had even been recieved but got no response. Then one day, a few months later, there was an email in my inbox from Erica Lopez explaining that they had been in the middle of a move to new offices and were now ready to review applications. From there things moved quickly and we learned we had been selected. I was so thrilled that I started to cry! It felt like I had just won the lottery!!!
Erica was so wonderful and helpful. She always responded quickly to my emails and seemed just as excited to give us the bike as we were to get it.
My son loves his bike and rode it almost everyday for the rest of the summer. As soon as we had our first snow free day this year, he had his helmet on and was ready to ride again. Variety made it possible for us to take family trips to the Library, the park, the corner store, and all around the neighborhood on our own power! My son loves his bike and now we can all get outside and get more excercise together. Thank you Variety!!!