Project Mobility: Cycles for Life
Project Mobility is an organization dedicated to the empowerment of children, adults and veterans with disabilities through the freedom of independent mobility. This is achieved by means of specialized bicycles that have been adapted to fit the abilities of the individual.
As a leading authority adaptive cycling in the country, Project Mobility has hosted and supported hundreds of adaptive cycling events all the while collaborating with several disability organizations, veterans groups, military hospitals, therapists and rehabilitation centers, schools, park districts and many others for more than 14 years.
Project Mobility Adaptive Bikes Fundraisers Empower Community
In 2015 an adaptive bike donated by Freedom Concepts was being given away at Project Mobility’s Annual Everybody Rides fundraising event. Project Mobility held a Facebook contest where they asked families in need of an adaptive bike to tell their story. Eight children with disabilities participated; and their pictures and stories were shared on Facebook. The child with the most “likes” would be the winner of the bike worth more than $4,000. In less than 48 hours, the post with all the children’s pictures reached more than 70,000 people in the United States and nine other countries.
Project Mobility is running another contest, except this time the adaptive bike—once again donated by Freedom Concepts—is being given away at a new annual fundraising event that Project Mobility is holding on June 27, 2016 called Everybody Golfs. A video promoting this event and the rules for entry has been posted on the Project Mobility Facebook Page. June 19th, 2016 at 5:00 pm CST is the deadline to enter a child under the age of 22. Voting or the contestants will begin on June 19th, 2016 and will be open for one week ending June 25th, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) CST.
Project Mobility GIVE 5 Everybody Wins Campaign Helping Everyone Achieve their Cycling Dreams
After the success of the adaptive bike giveaway contest held last fall when the contest post reached more than 70,000 in less than two days, the crew of Project Mobility realized that if even just 10% of those who “liked” a child’s story would just give five dollars, then every child could be a WINNER! The contest was successful because people were actively sharing and promoting their campaign using social media.
Project Mobility has decided to utilize this highly successful concept and develop a crowdfunding platform titled GIVE 5 Everybody Wins which will be launched this July and assist children, adults and veterans needing an adaptive bike to reach their cycling dreams. Through a unique combination of crowdfunding and donor matching, GIVE 5 will make it very easy to bring the benefits of adaptive cycling to more people.
Liz Stillwell, mom to 4-year-old James, can’t say enough about what cycling has done for her son, both physically and emotionally. “James rides his bike every chance he gets and has the biggest smile on his face. He is just beaming as he rolls by exclaiming, ‘I go fast! I’m riding a bike!’…receiving an adaptive bike has absolutely changed his life,” she said. “James rides every day he can, as soon as he gets home from school at lunch time, for an average of five hours. He often rides with his twin brother Charlie until it is dark and I have to tell him, ‘We need to put the bike up.’ It is one of the main activities of his day. Because of this, James has gained enough muscles to be able to use crutches instead of a walker.
“I had the most amazing experience with GIVE 5 and for them to help children, who can’t otherwise ride, to get bikes is beyond awesome!” she exclaimed.
For more on Project Mobility, visit www.projectmobility.org. To learn more about Give 5 Every body Wins and watch for the opportunity to participate in this great program, visit www.Give5everybodywins.com! You can also meet the Project Mobility team in person at Abilities Expo Chicago, June 24-26, 2016.
