Getting kids rolling with promotional coloring books
Having fun on wheels is best when shared with a friend. Since its founding in 2013, Share the Voice has given more than 190 adaptive tricycles to children of all ages in New York and New Jersey. The trikes are for children who, for a variety of reasons, can’t ride a bike. To share knowledge and fun—and to thank their donors—the organization used a 4imprint one by one® grant to purchase promotional coloring books and wine totes.
Educating and informing is job one
President and cofounder Lynda Graham got the idea to start the organization when she saw her son riding an adaptive tricycle at school. “His physical therapist invited me down to see what he was doing in kindergarten,” Graham said. “I saw him riding a tricycle and I thought, ‘This is what I want my son to experience, where he and his brother can grow up and ride bikes together.’”
Because adaptive tricycles are considered “recreational” instead of medically necessary, they frequently aren’t covered by insurance. Therefore, Graham and two of her friends cofounded Share the Voice to help other children get the benefits of physical activity and fun that come with riding a trike.
In addition to raising funds and holding events to present tricycles to recipients, the organization also has a program called Little Voices. The organization speaks to groups of children about anti-bullying awareness, fundraising and philanthropy. The educational process often leads to unexpected lessons and rewards.
Graham has found that most kids, upon learning about the organization, want to know how they can help. Multiple groups have helped to raise money for a tricycle—and Graham always makes certain they’re invited when that tricycle is presented to the recipient.
Sharing the fun with promotional coloring books
While some organizations will raise money, purchase an item and send it to the recipient, Share the Voice uses every tricycle as an opportunity to connect with the recipient and their family. “We have the trikes come to us, we un-box them, assemble them and either present them at an event or deliver them to the child’s front door with a group of community people,” Graham said.
When the organization was first founded, they delivered every trike. But now that they’re giving away more than 25 tricycles a year, the organization finds that presenting the trikes at community events offers a lot of benefits.
“Being a special needs family, you can feel really isolated,” Graham said. “The families tend to stay home and withdraw. This gives us a chance to say, ‘Come out, because here we’re all the same.’”
In addition to the current recipients, Share the Voice sends invites for every event to all 190+ previous recipients. Invitations are also sent to everyone volunteering for Share the Voice and every donor who contributed. “Every time a donor donates, they get to come to an event, meet the child, meet their families and create a bond with them,” Graham said. “We can show them the child that they’re bringing happiness to.”
At the most recent picnic, the organization presented 11 trikes, and all attendees got a chance to eat, connect, and fill in a page or two of their promotional coloring books. The coloring books will also be used as an educational aid at upcoming Little Voices presentations.
Future events are already in the works, including a sold-out wine-tasting fundraiser where all 76 donors will eat lunch, sip wine and take home a wine tote from Share the Voice as a thank-you gift.
A note from Cheryl:
Every child loves to play, regardless of their abilities. We’re incredibly happy we can help this organization share fun and appreciation with promotional coloring books and wine totes purchased through our one by one grant program. For more information, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.