Malibu Boats said it partnered again with the Kiwanis Club of Tellico Village, Tenn., to give a special-needs child more mobility with an Amtryke therapeutic tricycle.
Malibu has made multiple donations of these trykes to children in need during the last two years. Kiwanis, with the funding assistance of Malibu and other corporations, provides the Amtrykes to special-needs children.
For this Amtryke donation from the Malibu team, the Kiwanis Club of Tellico Village selected a girl named Madison, who, because of cerebral palsy, profound hearing loss, seizures and developmental delays is unable to ride a conventional bike.
“At Malibu, we feel blessed to have the opportunity to help Kiwanis give a child the freedom and enjoyment that riding a bicycle brings,” Malibu Boats human resources vice president Debbie Kent said in a statement.
Check out a video of Madison using her tryke:
“It is very satisfying to know that Amtryke makes such a unique product to bring mobility and sheer enjoyment to children whose physical limitations might otherwise negate it entirely,” Kent said. “I’m especially proud of how our Malibu team members give with their hearts to make this happen multiple times per year.”
Based in High Point, N.C., Amtryke makes trykes in a wide range of sizes and configurations. Designed with assistance from the recipient child’s physical therapist, the unique Amtryke can be built as hand and/or foot-operated and can accommodate riders with varying degrees of physical limitations.
“We’re so grateful to Malibu and Kiwanis for helping our daughter,” said Madison’s mother, Michelle. “There are no words to describe the joy of seeing her begin to experience more independence as she adjusts to the bike.”
Malibu said it works closely with Kiwanis to help support other children’s programs, as well. The company holds an annual Family Day for all employees and matches money they raise to fund Kiwanis programs.
Through these activities, Malibu has provided financial support for the back-to-school program in Loudon and Lenoir City schools in Tennessee, where families receive gift cards to buy children’s clothes. Malibu also supports each Family Resource Center in Loudon and Lenoir City schools each year for their cold-weather clothing funds.
“We’re grateful for the ongoing support of Malibu Boats and its employees,” said Chuck Hitch, the Kiwanis corporate liaison. “This is a wonderful and giving company that supports many of our Kiwanis and community programs.”
