The Wheels to Succeed adapted bike program gifted its 200th bike on Dec. 9. Wheels to Succeed is a program of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Children’s Developmental Center at McMains.
The program began in 2007 when physical therapist Ashley Leach and her husband, Darron, began evaluating children receiving therapy at the children’s developmental center for their suitability to use adapted bikes to aid their therapy. These bikes can cost between $3,200 and $8,000 depending on the needs of the child, often making them cost-prohibitive for families. Through Wheels to Succeed, the cost of the bike is covered by donations and fundraisers.
“This is a truly gratifying day,” Sebastian Alvarez said. “This is what my father envisioned and to see that 200th bike go out the door is more than I think even he could have imagined.”
Wheels to Succeed gained a significant boost in 2008 when the late businessman and philanthropist Jairo Alvarez founded the No Such Thing as Impossible (NSTAI) bike ride fundraiser. It was Alvarez’s hope that children of all ages and abilities would know the joy and freedom of riding a bike. Since its founding, NSTAI has continued to provide financial support for the adapted bike program. The 2022 fundraiser raised more than $70,000, a record amount. Since Alvarez’s passing, his son, Sebastian, has taken over the planning of the bike ride fundraiser.
“Seeing the smile on the face of a child who may otherwise never have the opportunity to ride a bike along with all the therapy gains we see every day is why we do what we do,” said Anne Hindrichs, operations director for Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Children’s Developmental Center at McMains. “This is truly a wonderful day and a fitting way to honor the faithfulness and vision of the Alvarez family including Jairo and his wife, Ms. Anita.”
Founded in 1954, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Children’s Developmental Center at McMains has offered speech, physical, occupational and educational therapies to children with developmental delays and disabilities in the Greater Baton Rouge area as well as providing assistive technology and family programming so children can live full, independent lives. In 2022, the Center joined with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health to expand its services in the Baton Rouge Area and, eventually, more regionally. Each year the Center sees more than 600 children, providing nearly 15,000 therapy sessions.