Nonprofit providing free pedicab rides for elderly, hearing-impaired residents in Tempe
Sep 20, 2021, 4:35 AM
(Courtesy photo/Chase Farber)
(Courtesy photo/Chase Farber)
PHOENIX — Elderly and hearing-impaired people have a new way to get around Tempe Town Lake and other nearby attractions in the city.
Nonprofit organization Cycling Without Age Tempe is providing free electric-assist pedicab rides to older adults with mobility issues and hearing loss.
“We believe these free pedicab rides will help seniors create new relationships and become more connected to their community, all while creating new memories and improving their quality of life,” Laura Kajfez, a volunteer with the nonprofit that has experience serving older adults, said in a press release.
Volunteers with the organization will give the rides on a specially designed three-wheeled electric vehicle, partly purchased with help from a $5,000 sponsorship from the Arizona Lottery.
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“Mobility is one of the biggest challenges Arizona’s seniors face, and that is even more true during this COVID-19 pandemic, as they are especially vulnerable to this all-too-often deadly disease,” Gregg Edgar, executive director of the Arizona Lottery, said in the release.
“Our Gives Back Sponsorship to Cycling Without Age will bring some of that mobility and joy back to these seniors. Volunteers also feel a sense of pride for helping to make a difference in people’s lives.”
The nonprofit is working to identify residents who qualify for the program through a partnership with the Tempe Community Action Agency senior independence program and Apache ASL Trails senior living community for deaf adults, according to the release.
A kick-off for the program was held Wednesday at the Escalante Community Garden.
“We’re excited to have a chapter of Cycling Without Age starting up in Tempe,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said in the release.
“A program that helps reduce isolation for seniors and connects generations is a ‘win-win.’”
Cycling Without Age, founded in 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark, has chapters in 47 countries and serves more than one million people, according to the release.
