Wichita State University
News Release
Contact: Samantha Corcoran, engineering educator, 316-253-1913 or samantha.corcoran@wichita.edu; or Andi Cota, communication intern, Shocker Ad Lab, 316-990-6223 or alcota@shockers.wichita.edu.
Media note: Media wanting to attend early sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. can contact Corcoran to make arrangements.
GoBabyGo
Sponsored by the WSU College of Engineering, this program modifies off-the-shelf ride-on
toy cars for kids with disabilities at no cost to the families. The program serves
children birth to 5 years old. Created at the University of Delaware in 2009, this
project can be done anywhere and by anyone interested in innovation, collaboration
and helping kids with disabilities.
Wichita State University's GoBabyGo program is holding its second annual Tuneup Day from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in WSU's Experiential Engineering Building, northwest of 17th Street and Innovation Boulevard.
Faith, although only 2 years old, will get her first set of wheels at the Fall Tuneup Day. Faith is curious and observant and loves to play with her siblings. However, Spina Bifida brings mobility challenges, making it difficult for her to keep up. WSU's GoBabyGo program has customized a car for Faith so she'll be able to join in family fun just in time for the holidays. Faith and her family will travel from Manhattan, Kansas, for her to receive her new wheels.
Eight additional children will also receive their first car at this event. In addition, any previous car recipients may bring their cars in for a tuneup or repairs, which will be done by WSU students. As the GoBabyGo drivers continue to grow, WSU will continue to support them by maintaining their cars.
WSU students across disciplines work together to customize and deliver cars to children several times per year at no cost to the children's families. Every car is customized to suit each child's specific needs. To date, GoBabyGo at Wichita State has modified and delivered nearly 50 cars to children across the Midwest.
Along with presenting the nine new cars and providing free tuneups, the children can test drive their cars at the Fall Tuneup on a pint-sized obstacle course. There will be additional activities for brothers and sisters.
The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.