Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society,
July 18-22, Love Civic Center
Please complete registration form and turn in with payment by mail: RRVDSS PO BOX 6455 Paris TX 75461,
e-mail: msmith@rrvdss.org or kcrites@rrvdss.org
drop off: REACH Center - 505 Lamar Ave Paris TX 75460. If you have any questions you can contact the REACH Center at 903-783-1922.
We are pleased to offer this bike program to people with disabilities and look forward to helping your family member learn to ride a two-wheel bicycle independently.
*This is not a guarantee of acceptance into the bike camp.
Requirements for Participation
(Rider MUST meet all of below criteria):
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Minimum age - 8 years old
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Able to sidestep to both sides
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Have a disability
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Able to attend camp all 5 days
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Able to walk without assistance device
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Maximum weight 220 lbs.
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Willing and able to wear a properly
fitted bike helmet
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Minimum inseam of 20” (measure from floor while rider is wearing sneakers)
NOTE: Dropping-off Riders at the program is not permitted. A parent, legal guardian or other adult authorized to take responsibility for the Rider (e.g. another parent) must remain on site for the duration of the 75-minute program.
Available Sessions (you will pick a session on registration form)
Session #1: 8:30 am – 9:45 am
Session #2: 10:05 am – 11:25 am
Session #3: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Session #4: 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Session #5: 3:35 pm – 4:50 pm
Payment Information
Payment of at least $25 is required to process the registration form. Riders who will be repeating the course (rider attended the 2019 bike camp) will pay $50 registration fee and 1st time riders will only owe the $25. Please include check payable to RRVDSS OR pay by Credit Card below.
Want to become a Sponsor?
We would like you to join us in making a profound and meaningful contribution to children and young adults with disabilities right here in our area.
iCan Shine is a national charitable nonprofit organization which conducts over 100 five-day iCan Bike programs teaching approximately 3,000 people with disabilities how to ride a two-wheel bicycle each year. Since its inception in 2007, over 20,000 people with disabilities have learned to ride a bicycle through this wonderful program.
There is a great need for bicycle programs for people with disabilities. Research shows that approximately 80% of people with autism and 90% of people with Down syndrome never learn how to ride a bicycle during their lifetime. Learning to overcome the challenge of riding a bicycle benefits people with disabilities by enabling them to participate in a leisure activity with their friends and family, stay physically fit, gain confidence and improve their sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Using adapted custom-built bike equipment, trained professionals, and volunteers; participants in the five-day iCan Bike programs receive 75 minutes of daily instruction. What is truly amazing is that over 80% of the participants learn to ride a conventional bicycle independently by the end of the week!
I can assure you that this letter cannot adequately describe the moment during a camp when the volunteer lets go of the participant’s bike training handle for the first time: The rider smiles as broadly as they ever have, truly shining, the staff erupts in cheering, and the parents laugh and cry.
How can you help?
The Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society & REACH Center is very lucky to have the opportunity to host the iCan Bike program in Paris, Texas again. It will be held at the Love Civic Center the week of July 18-22.
We need your help to make this program a big success. The program includes highly-trained staff along with lots of custom-built adapted bike equipment travelling from city to city each week via truck and trailer. We are looking for organizational sponsors as well as individual donors to help cover the cost of hosting this wonderful program in our community.
By making a tax-deductible donation, you can ensure that we have the funds we need to pay for the great staff and equipment to travel here, help us keep the fees for parents of participants to a minimum, offer scholarships for those families with financial need, and make sure that we have everything we need to make our camp as successful as it can be.
There are many options for sponsorship.
For example:
• $1,750 - Sponsor a session (Five participants) Sponsor will receive prominent signage during their sponsored session as well as logo recognition on the iCan bike camp banner, our website & Facebook page
• $1,000 - Sponsor our t-shirts (provided to participants and volunteers) Prominent sponsor recognition on the back of the t-shirts, on iCan bike camp banner, our website & Facebook page
• $300 – Sponsor a participant Logo recognition on iCan bike camp banner as well as recognition on our website & Facebook page
• $150 – Sponsor participant awards (trophies/medals) Recognition on our website & Facebook page
• Or choose any amount that fits your budget!
Whatever your donation, you will be helping kids in our community gain independence, self-esteem and inclusion opportunities with their family and community.
We rely on the generosity of caring people like you to make learning this life-long skill a reality for so many in need. It is life changing for the participants and for their families, offering opportunities to be just like everyone else.
Choose your own donation amount: Click the Donate button on the right!
To Sponsor the iCan Bike
Select your sponsorship level below!
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Thank YOU for ALL the
SUPPORT
Want to Volunteer?
Volunteers are Key to iCan Bike's Success!
The riders will be riding a specialized adapted bicycle designed to teach them to balance appropriately for the entire 75 minutes each day while being accompanied by their two assigned volunteers. Additionally, camp staff will provide fun motivational teaching on a specially designed tandem bike that is generally well received by most riders.
The first two days of the bike camp (Mon & Tues) will take place solely inside on adapted roller bikes. Beginning on the third day (Wed), some riders may graduate to a two-wheel bike and transition to riding outdoors spotted by their assigned volunteers while most riders will continue riding the adapted roller bikes indoors. As riders graduate from the roller bikes to a two-wheel bike between Wednesday and Friday, they will transition to the outdoor riding area.
Each rider attends the same 75-minute session for each of the 5 days (M – F) and is assigned the same two volunteers that will work with the rider throughout the week. This works great because bonds are formed between the volunteers and riders helpful for encouragement and motivational purposes throughout the week. It is important for our riders to work with the same volunteer each day building a trusting relationship as they progress through the week.
It is very rewarding for the volunteer to have spent the whole week with the same rider to see the fruits of their labor on the last day when the rider finally rides independently.
It is important to note that volunteer spotters will walk/jog approximately 3 miles during each 75-minute session so please keep this in mind if considering volunteering for multiple sessions. Unless you are very athletic, please do not volunteer for more than two (2) 75-minute sessions per day.
We ask volunteers to commit to attending all 5 days of camp for the session(s) selected (you'll select your sessions on the registration form. Riders bond with their assigned volunteers and rely on the same person to be there to support them each day of camp.
Volunteers are encouraged to attend a 45-minute orientation on July 17th at 3:00pm at the Love Civic Center. During this orientation, you will learn about how the iCan Bike program operates, what to expect each day in your role as a volunteer spotter and you will receive training tips on spotting your assigned rider. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and meet other volunteers in your session. This orientation meeting is highly encouraged but not mandatory.
Volunteers arrive each day of camp 15 minutes prior to their session start time for a daily strategy/briefing session. Click below to register as a volunteer!