For children with special needs, an adaptive stroller, bike or communication device can mean many things to them and their families — joy, confidence, inclusion — but freedom probably tops the list.

Last Friday, nine children received an adaptive bike or stroller at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 from Variety: The Children’s Charity in Pittsburgh. Three of those children — Landon Hicks, Chessa Wall and Zane Watterson — live in the Panther Valley School District.

Landon, 4, received a new stroller. His mom, Saphera Hicks, explained that he has level 3 autism.

“It means relief,” she said. “I get to go outside with Landon. Feel more secure.”

Hicks said that Landon likes to run off. The stroller will keep safely in one place. He was able to wiggle out of his old stroller.

“Any chance he gets, he runs away,” she said. “He’s an escape artist, so I’m very excited to try this out.”

Both Chessa Wall and Zane Watterson received strollers, but Chessa, 14, also got an adaptive bike. She grew out of her old one.

Her mother Tammy Wall said Chessa was very excited to get the new bike and picked out the color — teal.

Tammy Wall said the bike gives them “the ability to do more activities in the community, to go to other communities and take her to see what’s available, because we can’t do that. She has a hard time walking long distances, and she can’t ride the old bike. This way she can go faster, and we don’t have to worry about if she gets tired or anything like that.”

The adaptive bike includes a handle bar in the back for a parent to help the child stay safe. Wall said steering has been an issue for Chessa.

“While she didn’t get the steering down, being able to control the bike from behind made it possible for her to keep trying,” she said.

The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 has been partnering with Variety and bringing this equipment to needy children for more than 10 years, said Gregory Koons, Ed.D., the executive director of CLIU21.

“We are very, very proud to be a partner with Variety,” Koons said.

Variety, which began in 1928 in Pittsburgh, is an international charity helping children. It’s My Bike program began in 2012, followed by My Stroller and My Voice, for children with verbal disabilities, in 2014.

The donation of equipment on Friday was made possible by Blackburn’s Physician Pharmacy Inc. in Tarentum.

Tom Baker, the chief executive officer of Variety in Pittsburgh, said, “We could not do what we do without the IU, without Blackburn’s. It does not happen. It’s a triangle of service and collaborations.”

The adaptive bikes, which have three wheels like a tricycle, are made by Rifton Equipment. The adaptive strollers are created by Kid Kart, and the My Voice program uses a restricted iPad with a prescribed communication app.

Since the programs began, Variety has given out more than 4,000 adaptive bikes, strollers and communication devices, which is worth more than $6 million.

“Your program has made something possible for our family that we would not have been able to do on our own,” Tammy Hicks said. “The adaptive bike gives Chessa more freedom and helps increase her confidence!”

All equipment is provided free to families that meet eligibility requirements. Dr. Mark Scott, director of Special Programs and Services at CLIU21, said the Carbon Lehigh Special Needs Children Foundation makes up the difference in the cost, so that it is free to all children.

“They give us so much joy, sometimes it’s nice to give a little bit back,” Scott said. “The important thing is that our kids get what they need.”

Variety is always looking for more children who could benefit from the equipment. The children must have a documented mental, physical or sensory disability, reside in the 71-county service area of Pennsylvania or West Virginia, and be between the ages of 3 and 21.

For more information, email info@varietypittsburgh.org, or apply online at www.varietypittsburgh.org/applynow. The charity also accepts donations and sponsors of equipment.