When 13-year-old Eddie Hazeldine got behind the wheel for the first time last week, an audience of Rockland Place residents joined his family in cheering him on as he took a few laps on his new adaptive bike.
One hundred and forty children ages 6-21 have experienced the same thrill as Eddie, thanks to Preston’s March for Energy, a local non-profit whose mission is to provide adaptive bikes to children with special needs.
Rockland Place, an assisted living and memory care community, routinely supports area children like Eddie through Watermark for Kids. The program, founded by Rockland Place’s management company, Watermark Retirement Communities, empowers youth to express their character, leadership, creativity, compassion and spirit.
The presentation of the bike was made by Preston’s March for Energy Executive Director Deb Buenaga, along with her son, Preston, the inspiration behind the program. She explained how each bike is designed for the recipient at a cost of $1,400-$2,500 per bike and demonstrated how the bikes can be adapted to the needs of the riders.
With nearly 90 area children on the waiting list for adaptive bikes, there’s an ongoing need for organizations like Watermark for Kids to support recreational activity for children of all abilities, a Rockland release noted.
