Townshippers with special needs build bikes, give back to the community

A non-profit organization in Cowansville is not only teaching people with special needs how to build and refurbish bicycles, it's teaching them about the power of giving.

That's because the 76 participantsin the Free Wheeling program aren't keeping their newly built bicycles. They're giving them out in the community.

"Often times, [our participants] are on the tail end of receiving services," said Stphan Marcoux, a professional cyclist and the director of Free Wheeling. "But now it's like the helpee being the helper, in a sense."

Free Wheeling's latest stop was the Sunnyside Elementary school in Stanstead. More than 20 bikes were given out to students at the school.

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'More than a feeling'

Branden Graves, who is on the autism spectrum, says it is rewarding to see children lunge towards the bikes he helped build.

"As the old Boston song goes, 'It's more than a feeling'," Graves said. "I really feel like I'm making a difference."

John Langlois, who hasa learning disability, called it a life-changing experience.

"It will make me want to work twice as hard so that the next kids down the road get a more beautiful bike," he said.

Aside from perfecting the craft of bike building, the hard work can also pay off in other ways.

"What this does is it gives them the potential to have employment down the road," Marcoux said.

Graves and Langlois have both received job offers from repair shops in the Townships.

Bike parts, funding needed

The program has gone from six participants to 76 in less than a year. ButMarcoux says Free Wheeling would need a financial boost in order to welcome more people with special needs.

Added funding would help the organization lease more warehouse space and hire more staff.

Most of the Free Wheeling participants are adults.Marcouxtakes pride inhelping individuals who he says would have otherwise been neglected.

"Once they're 21, there are very little services for these individuals," he said. "So they fall through the cracks and end up being at home and not doing much."

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