Getting a new bicycle is a milestone in many children’s lives and now the Turlock community and beyond has an opportunity to make that wish come true for one local boy.
Easton Geissler is a Turlock resident who has dealt with several challenges over his five years of life. He has cerebral palsy, hypertonia, is blind and is on the autism spectrum.
He loves listening to his music, going swimming and swinging high into the air. But if there’s one thing that really tickles his fancy, it’s going fast.
“He loves speed,” said Easton’s grandmother Nicole Cummings. “We took him to Disneyland and he couldn’t get enough of the roller coaster rides. The faster the better.”
Easton’s family wants to give him that feeling of the wind blowing through his air and that swift motion by getting him an adaptive bicycle.
The family is able to take Easton out for bike rides now through the use of a trailer attached to the back of a bike, and it is an activity he adores.
“He just looks like a typical 5-year-old out having fun,” Cummings said.
But Easton is a growing child and is quickly outgrowing the trailer. The family would like to get Easton a duet wheelchair tandem cycle.
“It can hold up to 275 pounds, so this would last him forever,” Cummings said.
The family has turned to the Great Bike Giveaway as a path towards achieving that goal.
The Great Bike Giveaway is a platform for children with disabilities to win a bicycle that has been adapted to their unique needs. It’s organized by the Friendship Circle, which is a non-profit organization that provides programs and support to the families of individuals with special needs.
The platform offers three options for getting an adaptive bicycle. The first in through votes. The child who gets the most votes for their particular type of adaptive bicycle will win the bike. The next option is through a random drawing. Each child who gets at least 50 votes will be entered into a random drawing to win their bike of choice. The final option is through fundraising. Typically, the duet bike the Geissler family is seeking costs around $5,300, but through the Friendship Circle it has been discounted to $4,600.
“Being able to give him this bike would be an answer to our prayers,” Cummings said.
People can help Easton get a bicycle by going to https://www.greatbikegiveaway.com/EastonGeissler and voting and/or donating to his fundraiser.
