Cyclists to ride in “Wheels to Succeed” adapted biking fundraiser

Wheels to Succeed will host the Ninth Annual No Such Thing As Impossible® Bike Ride fundraiser from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday, May 7, at the West Feliciana Parish Sports Park in St. Francisville. Proceeds will benefit the Wheels to Succeed program of the McMains Children’s Developmental Center. This program, founded in 2007, provides children with disabilities their own specially adapted bikes which can range in cost from $600 to $6,000. Celebrating ten years, the program has now awarded 135 adapted bikes to children with disabilities in the Baton Rouge community and surrounding parishes.

 

The May 7th event celebrates the children and families of the Wheels to Succeed program as well as the life of event founder Jairo Alvarez, a local businessman, author, and cyclist who was a passionate supporter of the program. Known for his award-winning autobiography No Such Thing as Impossible: From Adversity to Triumph, it was Alvarez’s vision that all children have the opportunity to know the joy of riding a bike, including children with physical disabilities.

 

Adult cyclists will have the opportunity to participate in a 10-, 40- or 75-mile ride for a $45-$50 registration donation. The event will also include complimentary lunch for participating cyclists and families, a fun ride for children of all abilities, and an adapted bike demo booth. Families can attend for free to enjoy the fun ride and have their child evaluated at the bike demo booth to get on the waiting list for an adapted bike. During lunch at noon, two children will be recipients of adapted bikes through the Wheels to Succeed program.

 

McMains Children’s Developmental Center (MCDC) has served Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes for 63 years in its mission to advance the quality of life for children with disabilities and their families by providing physical, developmental, academic, and communication services. Founded in 1954 as the Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Baton Rouge, Inc., MCDC offers a full range of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services for children birth to 18 with speech/language concerns, neuromuscular disorders, learning disabilities, autism, developmental delays, and other diagnoses.

 

For more information, contact the McMains Children’s Developmental Center or visit www.mcmainscdc.org or www.wheelstosucceed.org.