Health Sciences North’s (HSN) Children’s Treatment Centre (CTC) is bringing the iCan Shine program to Greater Sudbury, allowing individuals with disabilities to learn to ride a bike.
Thanks to a generous donation from the GoodLife Kids Foundation of more than $10,000, the HSN CTC is able to host the iCan Bike program for the first time in northern Ontario.
The iCan Bike program is a five day camp taking place from July 25 to July 29 at St. Charles College, 1940 Hawthorne Drive.
With the direction of trained professionals and volunteers, participants will learn how to safely ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle.
Participants will attend five 75-minute sessions which will provide them with the necessary confidence and skill to independently ride a bicycle by the end of the camp.
“Success in fitness is often achieved when it is fun and attainable,” said Joanne Tramontini, Clinical Manager of the HSN CTC.
“We are very excited about offering this opportunity for the children, youth and young adults in our community. Riding a bike independently is a skill often taken for granted. We are very happy to be providing the opportunity for our camp participants to achieve that goal. We could not have done it without the generous donation from the Goodlife Kids Foundation.”
“We are grateful to GoodLife Kids Foundation for providing the HSN CTC with the opportunity to host the iCan Bike program,” said Patricia Mills, President of NEO Kids Foundation. “We are very excited for children in our community to benefit from this expert instruction.”
This unique program was also made possible through a donation from Healthy Kids Greater Sudbury.
The GoodLife Kids Foundation Grant Program offers funding to programs that provide physical activity opportunities for children with special needs.
“At GoodLife Kids Foundation we understand that children with special needs often face significant barriers to accessing sport and physical activity,” said Lisa Burrows, Executive Director.
“We are happy to support this chance for children with disabilities in Greater Sudbury to build skills and confidence that will help them lead healthy and more active lives.”
To be eligible to enroll, riders must be at least eight years old, have a disability and be able to walk without an assistive device such as a walker or cane.
Riders must also be able to side-step quickly to both sides, have a minimum inseam measurement of 20 inches and weigh no more than 220 pounds.
The cost of the camp is $150. Interested participants should contact [email protected] to register for the program.
In order to ensure the success of the program, a number of volunteers are required.
Volunteers should be at least 16 years old and must be able to attend the camp each of the five days (approximately 90 minutes per session).
Volunteers must also be able to run and lightly jog to help participants throughout the sessions. Interested volunteers should email [email protected]
For more information about the program, please visit www.icanshine.org.
