Support from Rotary Club delivers trikes to special students

A grant with not enough applicants? When we saw this new story : we couldn’t believe our luck. Surely, our adaptive bike program, which got special needs kids to learn to ride, would qualify as transportation and fit the criteria for the grants?

Well, we applied, and sure enough, the board at the Rotary Club of Stamped Park felt our unique program, which delivers adaptive bikes to schools was awarded $11,000 in January. Youth en Route turned that into 13 bikes, pedals, pull bars and helmets for bikes at Our Lady of the Rockies, St. Francis High School and Sir Wilfred Laurier Schools. We also bought 2 bikes to keep in our own YER Fleet that we can take to schools.

Two people stand beside each other in a gym. The woman on the left is Laura Shutiak, executive director of Youth en Route, and the man on the right is Neil Fraser, vice chair of Calgary at Stampede Park. Neil provides Laura with a signed cheque. — Laura Shutiak, Executive Director of Youth en Route, receives grant from Neil Fraser, Vice Chair of Calgary at Stampede Park.

Riding trikes changes lives

“We are so thrilled to have this partnership with Rotary Club,” said Laura Shutiak, Youth en Route’s executive director. “The demand for both the bikes and for support to teach students how to use them is high. Every school with special education classes want access. This grant allows us to meet a real need.”

For these special students, adaptive bikes are recreation, physical therapy and behaviour regulation. They may also be the only independent form of transportation open to the student. Advances with E-bikes make getting around by trike a possibility.

“It was very moving for some of the members of the Rotary Club at Stampede Park to see YER in action and to witness the positive impact trikes can have,” said club member Neil Fraser who sits on the awards committee for this grant. “The program is exactly what our long time member, Mario Stella envisioned when he left our club a sizeable grant, directing that annual interest be used for transportation items for special needs persons.”

Wheels of trikes are in motion as a race game begins. — Special education students at Our Lady of the Rockies take off on trikes in the gym.

OLOTR students on the go!

YER was thrilled to have a recent multi-day learn to ride session with the Educational Support programs II and III at Our Lady of the Rockies High School. A dozen students, all with unique needs, had a chance to try out our bikes. Some students were already accomplished riders on two wheels. A number were able to try out the various trikes.

A Youth en Route instructor is showing a special education student the different parts of a trike. — Youth en Route works with special education students at Our Lady of the Rockies in learning to ride trikes.

We were fortunate to have Sports Medicine students come in to support riding and help their peers stay on track. It’s a great way for them to meet the leadership requirements of their class.

“To watch them grow in such a short amount of time was really amazing,” says Stephanie Shlahetka, Educational Support II teacher. “Their listening skills, the following directions, all those kinds of good, engaging activities – the kids have just been blown away by all of this.”

A student on a trike takes part in a game as another student holds up a green flag. — Students take part in games that help them learn skills.

More about the Mario Stella fund

The proceeds from the Mario Stella Endowment Fund held at Rotary Club of Calgary at Stampede Park will be directed to transportation initiatives for persons with Special Needs. Applications that meet the criteria are open to non-profit organizations in the Calgary community. The application should state that the criteria for eligibility are only for transportation-related initiatives benefiting persons with Special Needs.