The Believe It Foundation is Increasing Inclusion With Adaptive Bikes

For more than 10 years, the Believe It Foundation has been helping children with physical disabilities feel included. Through programs such as Camp Hope, adaptive snow skiing, and most recently, the Believe It Bike Program, they make a huge difference in and around San Antonio, TX.

Founder/Director Andrew McAllister has cerebral palsy and says the inspiration for the foundation came from his experiences as a child.

“Growing up in a small community within San Antonio, people were really accepting of me. I was always included,” said McAllister. “I was able to socialize with friends and participate in things such as summer camp and riding a bike.”

As McAllister grew older and attended college, he realized inclusion wasn’t as prominent as it was in his home community. With that in mind, he set out to bring inclusion to the larger part of San Antonio by starting the Believe It Foundation.

The Believe It Foundation Helps People With Physical Disabilities
A Freedom Concepts bike funded by The Believe It Foundation

Believe It Bikes

In the fall of 2017, the Believe It Foundation launched Believe It Bikes, a city-wide adaptive bike program that gives all children the opportunity to ride a Freedom Concepts adaptive bicycle. Program members can rent out adaptive bikes whenever they want. (Provided they aren’t already reserved.)

After launching the program, they realized they could reach even more kids by expanding the adaptive bike program into schools in San Antonio, so in the spring of 2018 that’s exactly what they did.

“Currently, our bike program is in two school districts,” said Meredith Michelson, PR Director at the Believe It Foundation. “In those two districts alone, there are thousands of kids in the special education programs.”

The program is expanding into a third school district in 2020, with a goal of being in four to six districts by 2021.

“Getting kids onto a Freedom Concepts bike is the most exciting thing we do,” said McAllister. “We see kids who are hesitant to participate in group activities get on a bike, and they instantly have a huge smile. That positivity then carries over to other parts of school.”

Why The Believe It Foundation Uses Freedom Concepts Bikes

The Believe It Foundation and Freedom Concepts first connected at a Kinetic Kids event, where McAllister met Freedom Concepts’ Senior Territory Manager, James Wall.

“I immediately really liked Freedom Concepts adaptive bicycles,” said McAllister. “They’re really well made, and I felt a great connection with James. I could tell that Freedom Concepts would be able to provide us with exactly what we needed.”

Freedom Concepts looks forward to helping the Believe It Foundation grow their adaptive bike program to help even more kids experience the thrill of riding a bike.

To learn more about the Believe It Foundation, click here.

To learn more about Freedom Concepts adaptive bikes, click here.

To contact Freedom Concepts, click here.