Omegas Provide Free Custom Bike to Local Student with Disability
W. Charles Brandy, Public Relations Liaison
A community presentation was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. to provide a free custom bike to Joseph Kimble, a local 8-year-old with a disability, enabling him to ride shoulder to shoulder with his twin brother. The event was held in front of Greater Work Christian Fellowship , 210 Southampton Buffalo, NY, under the leadership of Bro. Larry Donelson, Senior Pastor.
The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., 2ND District (New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware), and the Buffalo Chapter: Phi Omega gathered with distinguished guests: Bro. Amir Shareef, 39th Second District Representative, Bro. Dwayne White, Second District, Social Action Chairman, the family of Joseph Kimble, Mr. Timothy S. Banks, Licensed Physical Therapists, Community Health Center of Buffalo, and Colored Girls Bike 2. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. serves as a long-standing international brotherhood founded at Howard University in 1911. The Fraternity was built on and remains committed to four cardinal principles: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift. Community service is at the forefront of their mission to uplift our community.
Since 2017, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., 2nd District, and The IMAGE Center of MD (VME Program Services) have presented free, custom bikes to boys with disabilities (ages 8-15) in eight cities reaching from New York to South Carolina. For many children with disabilities, a bike from a retail store lacks the features children with cognitive and physical disabilities require. Also, specialty bikes (used in special needs schools) can be costly to a family budget. Thus, many disabled children miss out on riding bikes at home during their formative years. This partnership bridges that gap and gives disabled children a chance to be part of the action, too. Each child is pre-measured by a volunteer engineer to determine proper sizing and safety features. An occupational or physical therapist supplies key medical information that is incorporated into the bike’s design. Each child (or parent) selects their bike color with a helmet for safety. Special thanks to Mr. Banks for assisting with the presentation and Colored Girls Bike 2 for providing on site adjustments to Joseph’s bike. Congratulations to Joseph and his family. Phi Omega Chapter is under the leadership of Dr. Bert Stevenson, Basileus.