Cheers for SEPTA Ride-A Bike Camp
This year's SEPTA ride-a-bike summer camp earned rave reviews from appreciative Huntington School District parents who have marveled at the immediate results.
Biking can offer hours of enjoyable experiences for people of all ages, but some children find it difficult to learn how to ride a bicycle. Although it seems to come naturally for most kids, youngsters with special needs are frequently challenged by the activity.
Huntington's Special Education Parent Teacher Association recently took matters into their own hands by organizing and funding a weeklong training program for district students who want to bike ride with family and friends but who have encountered difficulty mastering the skills that make the experience possible.
SEPTA asked Huntington physical education teacher Lynn Hefele to take charge of the summer program and the veteran educator developed lessons and strategies that proved to be so successful that by the end of the week nearly every camp participant was riding independently.
One parent offered up "a huge thank you to SEPTA and Lynn Hefele for the week long bike camp. I honestly never thought my daughter would learn to ride a bike! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Another parent said her son "was so happy he learned to ride his bike. He went home and showed off to all our neighbors saying 'Look! I can ride my bike.'
"She started riding by herself after three days," a parent said about her daughter. "I never would have been able to pull it off myself. It was a worthwhile program. I am so happy to see my 17 year old finally ride a bike!"
SEPTA officials said the group hopes to sponsor additional summer camp programs in future years and asked parents to consider joining the organization and/or supporting its fundraisers sprinkled throughout the school year, including the upcoming "Kids Art."