Brite has had the recent honour of delivering one of our Brikes to Maryborough Education Centre’s specialist department. This whole process was thanks to the dedication of Zac Bodey, a volunteer from Brite who worked hard to make this donation possible. Brite is proud to support Zac’s efforts of awareness and inclusion in our community, and we are excited for the students to enjoy the Brike experience every day.
Let’s take a deeper look at how one of our Brikes – a specially designed three-wheel bike for people with disabilities – ended up at Maryborough Education Centre.
About Maryborough Education Centre
Maryborough Education Centre is a P-12 school with a specialist setting program designed to provide education tailored to the individual needs of each of their students. As the only school in their region providing this level of specialist education, they are equipped with the necessary facilities and deliver a range of suitable programs, all guided by an experienced team of staff.
How the Idea Came to Be
Zac Bodey is a resident of Accessible Housing Victoria and his brother, Kaine, is a teacher at Maryborough Education Centre. As a volunteer for Brite, Zac saw an opportunity to further promote inclusive education within the school. Their Specialist Setting has half a dozen students that could benefit from the Brike, and given their specialist students do cycling once a week, such a donation would ensure that even more people get to enjoy this fun form of transport and exercise.
Delivering the Brike
Zac was determined to get a Brike to Maryborough Education Centre, with the only question left being “how?”.
As luck would have it, Brite’s treasurer Tom Carra, who owns Accessible Housing Victoria and is passionate about inclusive accommodation, overheard Zac’s idea. Tom was so excited by this idea that he bought the $15,000 Brike himself and donated it to the school.
With the new Brike delivered to Maryborough Education Centre, there has already been a wave of excitement amongst both the students and the staff. The results have already been amazing, as more and more students now get the opportunity to experience the joy of having the wind flow through their hair while riding a bike.
The Upcoming Marathon
Even after everything Zac has done to help his local community, his mission isn’t over yet. In April, he will be competing in the Ballarat marathon to help raise more money for Brite and our cause. He already has made over $1000 and counting. As he said himself:
“I came up with that idea (to donate the Brike) when I went to Brite and I really wanted to donate to this school and help out my brother. I fundraise to help people with disabilities, to get more people on the team and spread more smiles.”
– Zac Bodey speaking to Maryborough Advertiser
Contact Brite
Once again, we couldn’t be more excited to have another one of our Brikes being used by such a wonderful and caring centre. If you think our Brike could be of use to your school or community group, contact us today.
