EIRMC family fun day and Bikes for Kids!

EIRMC’s Family Fun Day and Bikes for Kids kicked off the start of a great Saturday morning at snake river landing.

Adults and kids enjoyed a one-mile or four-mile bike ride. After, the community enjoyed music, face painting, carnival activities, and a teddy bear clinic. The clinic was a great way for kids to get to know EIRMC and hospital staff.

“Number one letting the community know of our different services that we offer for kids. Also to get kids used to the idea of what it’s like to be at the hospital and that the nurses it everyone the staff members are nice and not to be afraid,” said EIRMC Child Life Specialist Diana Moll.

The teddy bear clinic gave away 1,000 free stuffed bears for the kids to go station to station, making sure the teddy bear had a clean bill of health.

But the main attraction was the giving away of nine adaptable bicycles to special needs kids.

“Adaptable bikes range anywhere from $300 to almost $2,500. It’s just so great for all of our community, our sponsors helped allow us to be able to provide these bikes to these families,” said Bikes for Kids director Kristy Mickelsen.

Kids and parents’ faces lit up when they were given their new bikes.

A while ago, Mickelsen and her son were recipients of an adaptable bike. A gift that moved her so much, she decided to get involved in the Bikes for Kids in Idaho.

“Kids with special needs a lot of times without an adaptable bike, they’re either sitting on the lawn or they’re watching their friends as they write a bike. So to be able to see your child included in an activity with their family and their friends are included, their community, it just makes you so grateful,” said Mickelsen.

This annual event relies on donations and sponsorships to be able to gift as many free bikes as possible to kids with special needs in the Idaho Falls community.