MCC Public Safety Partners with Mid-Michigan AMBUCS
to Give 40 Children Free Hand-Foot Therapy Tricycles
For disabled children, everyday childhood pleasures like riding a bike can be complicated or simply out of reach. Mott Community College (MCC) Public Safety and Mid-Michigan American Business Clubs (AMBUCS) have a solution – hand and foot therapy tricycles.
MCC Public Safety and AMBUCS will give away 40 hand-foot therapy tricycles to local disabled children at MCC’s Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 8 pm. The Event Center is located adjacent to Woodside Church at 1401 E. Court Street, in Flint.
Jackie Mason, Mid-Michigan AMBUCS president and founder, saw a gap in services available to disabled children when her son Eli was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy in 2013. It inspired her to found AMBUCS and events like the Nov. 8 hand-foot therapy tricycle give-away.
“These are not just any bikes, these are made specifically for the children to help them maintain and improve muscle strength,” said Mason. “We also have a veteran who will be receiving one of the bikes.”
Mason also credits the MCC Public Safety Department and Sergeant Richard Vickrey, for making this event possible. “There was really no other venue with this much wheelchair accessibility and parking close by.” MCC Public Safety has had many such outreach efforts in the community. “We want to build relationships in the community, that way we can better serve citizens and learn about the specific policing needs of the community,” said Vickrey.
Four similar events were held during the summer that raised funds to make the hand-foot therapy bike give-away possible. In addition to the Bikes for Trykes, Drives for Rides, Spikes for Trykes, and Magic Bikes, more than 40 sponsors and many individual supporters have made the event possible.
“Our work will continue,” said Mason. “There is such a great need for creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities.” The local AMBUCS club is one of 130 chapters in over 30 states, with 5,500 members.
To learn more about the organization visit www.midmichiganambucs.org, or to get involved or for sponsorship information, contact president and founder, Jackie Mason (810) 965-5548,jmason@midmichiganambucs.org
