One of the great joys of childhood is feeling the wind against your face as you race your bike, your feet pedaling towards nothing and everything all at once, faster and faster until the landscape begins to blur and the only sound you hear is the beating of your heart and the crunch of gravel beneath your tires.

For a moment you are one with the sky and when you finally slow down long enough to catch your breath you could swear you were just flying.

It’s a milestone that most children and parents treasure, but for families with special needs kids, that milestone may often feel unattainable, depending on the nature of the child’s physical limitations and/or cognitive delays. Luckily, adaptive bicycles have come a long way in the last several years; they’re outfitted with a variety of seating and safety features, and can accommodate a wide range of abilites, making a once distant dream a reality for many.

Of course, these bikes can’t be found in your local Target bicycle section and often come with hefty price tags that range in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. This makes it nearly impossible for already financially strapped parents raising special needs children to be able to afford an adaptive bike, which for many is considered a luxury rather than a necessity.

But thanks to The Friendship Circle’s The Great Bike Giveaway, and a number of AWESOME corporate sponsors, including Ambucs, Buddy Bike, Freedom Concepts, Inc., rifton, Tadpole Adaptive, Adaptivemall.com, Giant Leaps by Flag House, Glide Bikes, and KaZAM Bikes,  FOURTEEN adaptive bicycles (or credit towards the purchase of one) are being given away!

All YOU have to do to be entered into the giveaway is submit an adorable photo of your kiddo (yes, I realize that it’ll be next to impossible to pick just ONE adorable photo of your child, but rules are rules so please just do your best) along with a short description (250 characters) of why your child would benefit from one of these amazing bikes; you have until May 10th to do this part.

Then, beginning on May 13th through May 18th, get your friend, family and even the mailman in on the action by asking them to vote for your entry. The fourteen submissions with the most votes win a bike!

But WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Any submission that receives over 100 votes, but is not one of the top fourteen entries will be automatically entered to win one of FOUR Director’s Choice Prizes which, you guessed it, are also adaptive bikes! The Director’s Choice winners will be chosen by The Friendship Circle staff members and will be based on the most creative entry.

Now, off you go, but before you hit that enter button on your submission, make sure you read the rules, because the last thing The Great Bike Giveaway needs is a bunch of shenanigans.