Kelowna non-profit has $300K in adaptive bikes stolen

$300,000 of bikes stolen

A Kelowna non-profit providing adaptive outdoor recreation for people with disabilities is recovering from a break-in that left specialized bicycles stolen and damaged, with losses estimated at nearly $300,000.

Adaptive Adventures says the theft occurred at an off-site mobile location in downtown Kelowna, where storage containers were broken into.

"Quite a few of our adaptive bicycles were stolen,” said executive director Tim Ropchan. “Our storage container was damaged, and other bikes were also damaged in the process.”

Each bike is specialized and costly, ranging from $5,000 to $35,000, and critical for adaptive biking programs.

“We were able to secure a few, but some have been damaged, and we do have to do a full assessment of the bikes that were left in the storage unit,” Ropchan said.

The organization supports more than 1,200 residents across Kelowna and the Okanagan, relying heavily on community funding.

''We fully rely on community support… and we're definitely relying on them right now to help support us,” Ropchan said. The group has launched a “Reclaim Your Adventure” campaign online to help replace the lost equipment.

Program users say the stolen bikes are more than equipment, they’re essential for access and independence.

“It's going to limit or it's going to affect all the people that rely on this equipment… the rest of us in the community come out and rely on somebody like this that has these that we can use," said Anand Kannan, who is paralyzed from the chest down.

“For a lot of us, this is the only way people are going to be able to get out into the outdoors… I would love to see the equipment come back in one piece that would be amazing. It's part of your rehabilitation too… this is health for everybody out here.”

Kent Stewart, who has used Adaptive Adventures since 2018, said he was very disappointed to hear of the news.

“It was real hit to the adaptive adventures community… These pieces of equipment are crucial for a person like me to get out on a tandem bike with a sighted pilot steering and me pedaling. So when they go missing, it just eliminates that opportunity for me to enjoy our outdoors.”