Prince George boy gets three specialized bicycles thanks to fundraiser

Thanks to the generosity of the community, a Prince George boy with cerebral palsy now has bikes for life.

In July, Angela Shymanski started a fundraiser to give her 11-year-old neighbour, King, a specialized bicycle tailored to his unique needs.

She said King originally had a small battery-operated bicycle that he could ride around the neighbourhood, but it was designed for much younger kids and he had since outgrown it.

Knowing that a new specialized bike would cost about $5,000 and that his family only had one income, Shymanski started the GoFundMe to get him a new bike this summer.

The GoFundMe raised $6,825 of its $5,000 goal.

“King got his bike! Well, actually… due to the incredible generosity of this community, King got not one bike, but three,” said Shymanski in an update on the GoFundMe campaign page.

She explained that he now has a brand new bike that fits perfectly for his needs now, another for when he outgrows his current bike and a third that will be his forever bike.

“Humongous shout out to Sheralee and the staff at Cerebral Palsy Kids & Families in Calgary, Alberta! They truly went above and beyond,” said Shymanski.

She added that King and his parents enjoyed their first ever vacation with no medical appointments whatsoever.

“They spent two nights in a hotel, enjoyed water slides and rides and truly made some incredible memories,” said Shymanski.

“The icing on the cake was coming home with these bikes that have already given King immense freedom! He has been cruising around the neighborhood, Lheidli T’enneh park and other trails.”