RETAILER Kmart has signed on to support Variety’s national Freedom program, which provides special needs children with bicycles and tricycles.
The Wesfarmers subsidiary will have its 21 stores in Western Australia (and a further 150 stores nationwide) run the ‘Bikes4Kids’ program through coin collection boxes located at the registers of each store.
Variety’s Freedom program gives the gift of freedom to children living with physical disability by providing mobility equipment including wheelchairs, walking frames, customised tricycles and more.
Variety WA chief executive Michael Pailthorpe said the cost of modifying a bicycle to meet the needs of a child with a physical or developmental disability could be hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars.
“Variety believes every child should get to experience the simple joy of going for a ride on their bike,” he said. ‘‘Seeing their face light up that first time is priceless, and we thank Kmart for helping to make this dream a reality for many more WA children over the coming months.”
