The five-day camp program in West Hartford successfully taught 40 campers to ride a two-wheeler.

By Ronni Newton

Just five days after first climbing onto specially-equipped roller bicycles in the gym at West Hartford’s Conard High School, nearly every one of the 40 special needs campers was riding a two-wheeler independently.

The national program “iCan Bike” (formerly called“Lose the Training Wheels”), which is part of the nonprofit “iCan Shine” organization, has had a camp in West Hartford for roughly 20 years, the last dozen as a program of the Miracle League of Connecticut and West Hartford’s Department of Leisure Services. Each year the program graduates newly-minted bicyclists, ages 8 and up, who are confident in a new skill that gives them independence as well as the ability to participate in a great family recreational activity.

There are five sections that meet in 75-minute sessions each day, with eight campers in each group, and they come from West Hartford as well as many other towns to attend the unique program.

Although thunderstorms on Friday afternoon caused most of the final two sessions to move into the gym, campers were still able to practice their riding schools, often riding circles around those who had been holding onto them just a day or two earlier.

West Hartford resident Jennifer Stabnick, who is also a member of the Miracle League’s Board of Directors, was thrilled with the progress her 9-year-old son, Harper, made this summer. He did the camp last summer, but was the youngest and smallest member of the group and she figured he would probably need at least another year.

“Now he’s just beaming,” Stabnick said. While he still had a special handle attached so volunteers could keep him steady, Harper was riding his own new bike with confidence and a smile. Things seemed to click on the second-to-last day.

“You know it’s supposed to happen, but when you see your child do it, it’s hard not to get emotional,” Stabnick said.

“They’ve been really successful,” said Katrina Marr, one of two representatives from iCan Shine who was running the camp along with local volunteers. “They’ve put in a lot of hard work, and it’s paid off,” she said of the participants. Nationally the camp has an 80% success rate and on the final day in West Hartford, most of the campers were able to ride without assistance, or with minimal help.

Friday afternoon’s thunderstorms were “the first hiccup we’ve had all week,” said Mike Michaud, executive director of the Miracle League of Connecticut. But the kids didn’t seem to mind being inside rather than in the parking lot – especially since the temperatures were humid and in the mid-90s before the rain hit, as compared to the well air-conditioned Conard gym.

Michaud said this year there were 76 volunteers overall – many of them high school or college students – helping the campers. At each session there were also three to four representatives from West Hartford Fire Department assisting, and overall Michaud estimates 1,000 volunteer hours were contributed.

Running the camp costs about $22,000, and Michaud said this year they are very thankful to have received sizable grants from the Tapper Charitable Foundation and the Gibney Family Foundation to greatly subsidize the cost and keep it more affordable for the campers.

After more than a decade organizing the camp through the Miracle League, Michaud was announcing the graduates of the program at the end of the session for the final time. He is retiring as executive director in December and said process is underway to choose his successor.

Campers received medals, certificates, and hugs and high-fives from counselors and family members. They left with smiles, their own bikes, and instructions to “keep on riding.”

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.