Emerson Health’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies is hosting its sixth annual camp for children and adults with special needs during April school vacation week, April 17-21, 2023. The camp is open to those who are at least eight years old, have a special need, and are able to walk without an assistive device. Trained counselors and spotters work individually with campers to teach them how to ride a conventional bike.
The iCan Bike camp will be held at the hockey rink at Lawrence Academy, 26 Powder House Road, Groton, Massachusetts. Participants must be able to attend the same 75-minute daily session during each of the five days of camp. Parents and/or caregivers are required to stay during their camper's 75-minute session, which they can observe in the spectator area. For more information and for campers and volunteers to register, please visit: icanshine.org/ican-bike-groton-ma/, call 978-589-6774, or email icanshinebike_rehab@emersonhosp.org.
The camp is run by iCan Shine, a national non-profit organization that teaches individuals with special needs to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle through its iCan Bike program. Trained professionals, including pediatric physical therapists from Emerson Health, work closely with each camper using adapted bike equipment to help them meet their goals of biking independently. With 75 minutes of daily instruction over five consecutive days, more than 80 percent of campers learn to bike independently by the end of camp, and nearly all campers make great progress towards biking on their own.
“Riding a bike is one of the most exciting developmental milestones. It gives people a wonderful outlet for exercise and freedom and is an activity that families can enjoy together,” said Mary Evans, PT, a pediatric therapist at Emerson Health. “We are excited to offer the bike camp to give people individualized instruction and the skills necessary to ride a bike on their own. We know the campers will make tremendous progress this year, as we have seen with hundreds of campers in prior years.”
Sponsors of this year’s bike camp are: The Auxiliary of Emerson Health, Lawrence Academy, Spring Hill Suites, Hilton Garden Inn Devens, Bay State Apparel, Cataldo Gift and Garden Shop, Goodale’s Bike Store of Nashua, and The Bike Connector of Lowell.
• WATCH: Program helps kids with special needs learn to ride bikes (via WCVB Channel 5)
