Rotary turns

By Emma Sun
A STUDENT at Mount Evelyn Special Developmental School now has a new way to get around the place – on his new set of wheels.
Aidan, who has an intellectual disability, has been a happy camper since receiving the bicycle recently and loves riding on it whenever he has the chance.
His mum Kate McMartin said she was very grateful for the bike, which was given to them through funds raised by the Rotary Club of Belgrave, as they would not have been able to afford it otherwise.
“It’s really great for Aidan to have an activity that he can do at home and he really enjoys the bike,” she said.
“It was much appreciated.”
School principal Helen Johnston said the school and its other students also benefited from funds raised through Rotary, through an ongoing project between the school and the club.
“Our teacher Barbara Smith had contact with people there so we talked to (the Rotarians) about our school and they visited us and spoke about how they wanted to support us,” she said.
“They provided us with three SPIO vests, which is like a suit, for our kids with high sensory needs, which they find that comfortable to wear and which reduces some of their sensory needs.”
“They also gave us some money to do some work on a path that we needed to transport a shipping container to store the bikes for our kids.”
Ms Johnston said the assistance had been beneficial for them and the school now had more funds for other things.
“It’s just nice to be known by the community and (the funding) means that we can now go and buy extra things for our families,” she said.
“It just makes our staff’s lives easier and the kids can now put the bikes away. It’s a great partnership and a good thing for the school.”
Wayne McKenzie from the Rotary Club of Belgrave said the club was pleased to support the school and its students.