Robbie’s Riders, Grampy’s Charities and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank present custom-made, adaptive tricycles to local special needs children

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2018) – Thanks to support from Grampy’s Charities and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Robbie’s Riders presented five adaptive tricycles, worth nearly $6,000, to Naples children through its Freedom Program at the bank’s McGregor branch in Fort Myers.
“With special adaptive tricycles, these children get to experience a sense of independence and social freedom,” said Jack Johannemann, director of Robbie’s Riders. “We are so happy to be able to bring smiles to these children’s faces with the pure joy of riding a tricycle, something many of them have never done before.”
Angeles Escobedo, an 8-year-old girl with hemiparesis, neurologic complications and severe epilepsy, has decreased strength, motor control and coordination that cause decreased balance and delayed gross motor skills.
Zara Patel, a 4-year-old girl with Angelman syndrome and autism, has muscle weakness and global hypotonia.
Six-year-old Jeremiah Rivas has a complex medical history, including severe autism, tuberous sclerosis and active seizure disorder.
Karolay Chiniros is a 16-year-old girl with brain injury, triplegic cerebral palsy affecting her right arm and both legs, and neuromuscular scoliosis.
Joshua Ortiz, a 7-year-old boy with autism, has not been able to engage in any physical activities due to lack of safe equipment that can accommodate his needs.
When riding these tricycles, these children will benefit from general strengthening, new proprioceptive sensory input, and improved reciprocal coordination of the legs. They can now participate in activities with their families and peers, and enjoy the normal childhood experience of riding a bike.
Robbie’s Riders’ program provides special adaptive bicycles and tricycles to children with disabilities, according to their individual capacities and needs. The charity works to donate special needs cycles as quickly as they can raise funds to purchase them. Working with Claire Le Boulenge, a pediatric physical therapist with Golisano Children’s Hospital who donates her services to assist, each child is evaluated and fitted for his or her own special adaptive cycle.
Grampy’s Charities has supported Robbie’s Riders, opening up new avenues to fundraise and continue delivering adaptive bicycles to children with disabilities. Sanibel Captiva Community Bank first partnered with Grampy’s Charities for fundraising in 2017, making it possible for Robbie’s Riders to present its first two adaptive bicycles in Southwest Florida last year.
A small, all-volunteer organization, Robbie’s Riders has provided 32 custom-made, adaptive cycles to children in the past year. The organization is dedicated to bettering the lives of children. Learn more at www.savethekid.org.
Grampy’s Charities is a volunteer organization with no paid staff. For a quarter century, they have donated more than $3 million to children’s charities. Learn more at www.grampyscharities.org.
Founded in 2003, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has two locations on Sanibel and five additional locations in Fort Myers. The bank is nationally ranked in the top 20 as a best-performing community bank by S&P Global Market Intelligence out of more than 4,500 banks with assets under $1 billion. It is well-capitalized, with $403 million in assets, and generates the highest return on equity of all Florida banks in excess of $155 million in total assets.
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s professionals provide customized individual and business banking services and specialize in residential loans. The bank offers free personal and business checking, deposit accounts with competitive interest rates, safe deposit boxes, and a full array of online banking products and services, including electronic statements, mobile banking apps, CardValet, online bill pay, Positive Pay and ACH Manager. To learn more, visit www.SanCapBank.com.