GoBabyGo!

GoBabyGo! Edgewood Students Works with Mentors to Customize 5 Vehicles for Toddlers. Click for Video.

Director of Communications

May 13, 2022

Abbi Richcreek, Engineering/Technology teacher/Project Lead the Way (PLTW) instructor at Edgewood Middle School, recently celebrated another year of GoBabyGo! Launching in 2019, three vehicles were gifted. In 2020, it was four. In 2021, GoBabyGo! grew to five donations. This year, another five toddlers received a customized vehicle.

For 2022, Richcreek welcomed back nine returning mentors from Depuy, Zimmer-Biomet, Paragon Medical, Dalton Foundries. Richcreek also recruited four new mentors to help students understand the design process for modifying vehicles to meet the needs of their client - five children who will benefit from this program to gain more independence.

 With 16 middle school students, four returning and twelve new, Richcreek is excited to offer five vehicles to five toddlers who were nominated by Joe's Kids, Joanne Dean, a local early intervention occupational therapist with First Steps, and Stacey Ousley, Teacher at Lincoln Elementary School and Presby Preschool.

 EMS 7th & 8th Grade Students who gave their time (Five After School Meetings + First Friday) and talents are:

  1. Hunter Fitterling

  2. Adria Jordan

  3. Gianna Stouder

  4. Jacob Stofer

  5. Ezra Gast

  6. Ethan Cook

  7. Kaine Lowry

  8. Lillian Dunbar

  9. Mason Fitterling

  10. Adella-Mae Huffer

  11. Maya Bodiker

  12. Mateo Perez

  13. Lilliana Rak

  14. Jack Langhorn

  15. Gwen Bowman

  16. Jett Bender Lange

 Community Volunteers who mentored students and assisted with communication and physical adaptations are: 

  1. Matt Miller, Project Manager - Dalton

  2. Monica Rozelle - Depuy

  3. Russ Lowry, Manager Manufacturing Engineering-DePuy

  4. Larrie Davis - Depuy

  5. Nate Callithen - ZimmerBiomet

  6. Elizabeth Manes - ZimmerBiomet

  7. Kyra Edmondson - Paragon Medical

  8. Matt Smith - Paragon Medical

  9. Tiffany Temple - Paragon Medical

  10. Neil Sindelar - Paragon Medical

  11. Dante Zumbo - Paragon Medical

  12. Karl Mast, Engineering Team Leader - Depuy

  13. Chris Lord - Depuy

  14. Dr. Aaron Turner, Physical Therapist - KCH

  15. Lisa LeMasters, Translator

  16. Sam Cook, Co-Leader, Maintenance & Grounds Director, Warsaw Community Schools

  17. Abbi Richcreek, Co-Leader, Edgewood Middle School

 

  Recipients: 

  1. Owen Siebeneck

  2. Nicholas Ramirez Brito

  3. Charlotte Timmons

  4. Taylor Cox

  5. Junior (Austin) Holloway

The toddlers and their families first met the students and mentors on Thursday, February 24. At that time, Edgewood students and their mentors learned what the physical needs were and what the toddlers loved. The jeeps will not only provide increased mobility for toddlers, but will be customized with stickers, fabrics, and accessories to delight and individualize each vehicle. The goal is independence, but parents will have remote controls while the toddlers learn to maneuver the new 12-Volt vehicles. Families returned again on Thursday, March 24th at 4:30 pm for a final fitting and test drive. Further modifications were made and then they received their vehicles at Edgewood Middle School on Friday, May 6th 2022 (7:15 pm).

Warsaw Community Schools would like to thank all who supported this project with generous donations. For 2022, thanks go to the VFW and to Nick Stouder, a community member and a member of the Rotary Club, who sponsored a Jeep.

Individuals and corporations interested in making a donation or sponsoring a Jeep for next year ($600), please contact Abbi Richcreek at arichcreek@warsawschools.org


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