HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Harrisonburg’s Community Gear Library has a new way to help families enjoy the outdoors with children with disabilities, and it comes in the form of the new Huckleberry Hiking Accessibility Cart. Community Gear Library co-founder Harriet Flynn said the cart will make it easier and safer for families to hike with their children.
“We’re excited to be able to provide this cart to families. It would cost thousands of dollars to purchase this cart, and families may not be able to afford it on their own. We want to provide a resource to get everyone outdoors,” Flynn said.
Flynn said the library was able to raise funds for the new carts through anonymous donations and a GoFundMe that was set up several months ago.
“We received an anonymous $2,000 grant from the Community Foundation and then raised the remaining $1,000 to pay for the remaining expenses and maintenance. [and] “I paid the bike shop to fix the brakes and tires, so we raised a total of $3,000,” Flynn said.
The new cart also helps parents support their children, suggesting different ways to use it based on the child’s size.
“The cart takes 75 percent of the weight off the passenger, so carrying a child isn’t too painful if you’re used to walking around with a backpack — it’s not painful at all,” Flynn says. “If you’re pulling a child who is a lot different in weight than you, it’s a lot easier. If they’re close in weight, it’s a good idea for another parent or teenager to hold onto the back of the cart and support them over the rocks.”
Flynn said the carts are not difficult to assemble at all, and when families borrow one, Gear Library will show them how to put them together.
“Once you’ve put it together once or twice, you’ll get the general idea of how it works, and it comes in three parts so it all fits into a big bag,” Flynn says. “I’ll meet you at the park, show you how it works, give you a demo, and then if you like it and want to try it, I’ll show you how to put it together. There are also lots of step-by-step videos online. [instructions] So you can see it.”
Flynn said cart rentals are free and families can go to the Community Gear Library in downtown Harrisonburg to borrow a cart for their next hike.
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