On Saturday, June 21, 2008 Buddy Bike participated in the OASIS Autism & Health Point Walk/Bike-a-Thon to raise funds and awareness for autism. Several families were able to test ride the Buddy Bike but Coty and his Mom, Judy, seemed to enjoy it the most. Coty is a 16-year old teenager that has overcome incredible odds. Due to his early childhood disabilities and the fact that he has outgrown his Mom, like most teenage boys do, Coty never had a chance to learn to ride a bike...until now. Coty rode the Buddy Bike with Shelley Patterson, Buddy Bike representative, and then with his Mom. But that wasn't enough. Coty had a look of determination that said he wanted to ride the Buddy Bike on his own despite his usual shyness at trying new things in front of others. The Buddy Bike is longer than a standard bicycle and shorter than a typical tandem. It takes some getting used to for someone who does know how to ride a bike; but Coty was not discouraged. After some instruction and encouragement, he worked his way around the 1/4 mile track by himself. Mom said, "I'm trying hard not to cry!"

Due to the generosity of a special family and Angel Thompson of OASIS Autism Coty and Judy now have a brand new Buddy Bike of their own. Hopefully one day they will be able to enjoy the bike with Coty's younger sister who is struggling to overcome disabilities similar to Coty's.

OASIS AUTISM CREATES A BUDDY BIKE FUND

The folks at OASIS Autism in Wooster, Ohio are big fans of the Buddy Bike! After seeing the effect that the Buddy Bike had on all of the families and especially Coty, they are starting a Buddy Bike Fund through their organization to purchase at least one Buddy Bike per year for a family within their membership. Watch for their new web site for more information and for a donation link to add to the Buddy Bike fund so other kids like Coty can enjoy the benefits of this special bike.

Read what the OASIS folks have to say about the Buddy Bike.
OASIS Autism Blog

BYERS FAMILY INSPIRED TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES

As Barry Nelson, President of Buddy Bike, LLC was inspired by his son, Jesse, to contribute to the special needs community, so was Tim Byers of Naples, FL. Read about his son's story and their efforts to help other families at this link. READ MORE

My name is Cassie and I’m almost 17 years old. I’m writing to tell you about my brother who has autism, and a special bike that made a drastic change in his life. At the age of three my brother, Jesse, was diagnosed with severe autism. At the time, I was only five, and of course didn’t understand anything about the disorder. However, neither did my parents.

My brother could barely talk, and to this day, at age fourteen, has a very limited vocabulary, maybe consisting of 75 words at a maximum. For years, my parents struggled to find a school that would suit his needs, but their efforts all failed, and in June, 2000, they founded a school for children with autism called the Victory School. Although his disability was extremely difficult to cope with, it opened up our hearts to the world of autism and other special needs, and in the process brought our family closer together in an unimaginable way. By himself, Jesse managed to find something that everyone in my family would enjoy, and that was cycling. READ MORE

Park City, UT, Adaptive Cycling Expo at the National Ability Center (7/19/08)

Las Vegas, NV, Interbike International Bike Expo (9/24-9/26/08)

Miami, FL, Buddy Bike Group Ride, Shark Valley (10/12/08) Tentative

Jacksonville, FL, World Congress and Expo on Disabilities (11/21-11/22/08)

Tampa, FL, AAHPERD (3/31/09-4/4/09) Tentative

Tampa, FL, Buddy Bike Group Ride, Pinellas Park Trail (4/5/09) Tentative