Melissa Otter started squealing with delight as soon as she rounded the corner and saw her new shiny new tricycle.
"I think it's awesome! I really love this bike!" said Otter, 43, quickly donning her bicycle helmet and hopping on the pale blue Muskoka adult tricycle, complete with carrying basket in the rear, tassels and a shiny bell on the handlebars.
The bike was made possible by donations from the community, including many strangers.
"It makes me feel that I'm wanted in this community," said Otter, who has intellectual and physical limitations.
She has always wanted such a bike and was supposed to get a used one this spring, courtesy of community outreach worker Sian Matwey. She had a used bike for Otter in her yard but it was stolen a couple of months ago.
"This was going to be her first one ever and she was really looking forward to being able to get out in the community and ride with her friends," said Matwey, who describes Otter as a woman "with a heart of gold."
So Matwey started a GoFundMe page to help purchase a bike for Otter, who has no family and lives on a fixed income.
That's when Gino Vettor from George Vettor Cycle and Sport on
Vettor, who has two special needs sons of his own, was touched by Melissa's story.
He agreed to provide a brand new tricycle at cost and assemble it for free. He delivered it to Otter's apartment in the back of his pickup truck.
"I heard about the story and it just really ticks me off when stuff like this happens so I wanted to do what I could to help out," said Vettor, who has coached Special Olympics basketball in town.
The GoFundMe page for Otter raised $893, almost $400 more than the bicycle cost. The remaining money will be donated to
"I'm going to go up there to
Otter is someone that has stepped up to help others in the past.
For two February's she has been part of the Tie One On initiative, knitting scarves that were given away for free in Downtown Guelph.
Otter, who was also displaced from her apartment building for a while after a fire, has been excitedly looking forward to the bike's delivery.
"It's my baby," she said, beaming.
