STUDENT GETS EARLY CHRISTMAS

Ten-year-old presented with therapeutic bicycle

A Murray Ridge School student got an early Christmas present on Dec. 19 with the help of the Kiwanis Club of North Ridgeville.

Ten-year-old Makenzie Dvorscak of Elyria was presented with a custom-made Amtryke therapeutic bicycle in a special ceremony in the school’s gymnasium by members of the Kiwanis Club.

Makenzie, a fourth-grader at Murray Ridge, struggled to contain her excitement when the bicycle was overwhelmed with tears of joy before getting the chance to take her first ride around the school’s sprawling gymnasium.

Makenzie’s father, Wayne Dvorscak, said his daughter loves to ride and expects she will have a blast in the summer and looks forward to taking her to the park. He thanked the Kiwanis Club and Murray Ridge for their generous gesture.

“We try to stay positive but when something like this comes together, it’s really nice,” said Wayne Dvorscak.

The collaboration between Murray Ridge and the Kiwanis Club began in 2016 after the organization first heard about the Amtryke project, feeling it was the right fit for their organization’s mission in helping a child become more active. The Amtryke was funded in part by the Ohio District Kiwanis Foundation.

A team of volunteers put the bicycle together over the course of about five hours, getting it ready

for the special presentation.

“There isn’t any greater reward than putting a smile on a kid’s face. And when she arrived she was,” said Kiwanis Club member Vee Reifsnyder.

Working with Murray Ridge Education Director Dann Swift, the organization worked with the school’s physical therapist

to identify a child who could benefit from the Amtryke and they worked to design a custom-built Amtryke for Makenzie.

“Putting this all together, Kiwanis if you don’t know about us we are all about helping the children and the community but we focus on the children. But I think having this opportunity to bring the Amtryke in at the time, is really close to our hearts. It is really our pleasure,” said Cindy Hemsoth,

who coordinates the Kiwanis Club’s Amtryke program.

An Amtryke is a therapeutic bicycle which is modified to meet the specific needs of the child and helps with strengthening upper and lower muscles in addition to motor skills. Amtrykes have been found to create independence and mobility as well as providing social opportunities in helping children by promoting greater interaction with peers.

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL Ten-year-old Makenzie Dvorscak prepares to take her first ride Dec. 19, as she is secured in her new Amtryke therapeutic tricycle by physical therapist Becky Barmer, left, and teacher Vickie Nagy. Members of the North Ridgeville Kiwanis Club surprised...