North Ridgeville Kiwanis puts pedal to the metal in providing bikes to kids with special needs

Aryia Jones tries out her new "Amtryke" while her family looks on. Funds for the bike were raised by the North Ridgeville Kiwanis. (Photo Courtesy of North Ridgeville Kiwanis)

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- Aryia Jones has a new "Amtryke," thanks to the North Ridgeville Kiwanis.

Providing Amtrykes to kids and adults with special needs is a signature project for the Kiwanis and is an ongoing effort. The organization has given out 14 so far, according to Toni Krone, a Kiwanis member who helps coordinate fundraising for the bikes.

"We have a spaghetti dinner every year," said Krone. "This year, we raised $4,000 for two ‘bykes.’ One was for a high school student, a more generic one for anyone.

"Aryia, who is 7 years old and has cerebral palsy, had to wait for us to give her the bike after a hospital stay. She needed a ‘knee separator’ (option) that was recommended by a therapist at the school."

Krone said an Amtryke is like a regular tricycle, with some extra bells and whistles.

"There are smaller ones," she noted, "but then there are also medium and adult size ones. If we have an older child, we get them an adult size bike. But we can get a smaller or bigger one.

"They are very expensive. We ask a therapist what they need, such as Ariya who needed the knee separator. Some kids have to use harnesses to prevent falling off the bike, or they need pedal straps and another wraps around the trike (that) holds their arms up to guide the bike."

Aryia was given her trike at the Lorain County Community College branch in North Ridgeville.

It's all about kids fitting in with other children, according to Krone.

"Riding bikes is a big deal," she said. "They all want to be a normal kid and go outside with this bike and ride with the other kids."

For more information about the Kiwanis Amtryke efforts, visit https://www.kiwanis.org/ or contact Joe Martin at [email protected] or Toni Krone at [email protected].

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