One of our favorite summer activities is our annual iCan Bike camp!
This year we had 37 volunteers come in and help 13 kids learn to ride a two-wheeled bike in just 5 days! We had a blast, built up the riders’ confidence, and all left feeling accomplished.
iCan Bike uses adapted bicycles, a specialized instructional program and trained staff to help individuals with disabilities to learn to ride a two-wheel bicycle. Participants attend one 75-minute session each day for five consecutive days where they learn to ride while accompanied and encouraged by a volunteer spotter. Over the course of the week the bikes are adjusted for each rider as they gradually discover the skill and joys of riding a standard two-wheel bike. The iCan Bike program is for children 8 years old and older who have a disability.
This program is generously supported by the Lora DeAnn Broers Memorial Fund and the EastSide Centre. Special thanks to our friends at WMBD news for the great story on our camp!
In a world where working together brings positive change, the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation shines as a guiding light. They help people in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, and Logan counties by bringing together kind individuals, families, and businesses. This helps nonprofits like us at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center.
We are so happy to share that the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has supported us once more, showing their unwavering care for our mission. Recently, they awarded Easterseals Central Illinois and Timber Pointe Outdoor Center $1,750 to help give our campers empowering, memorable, and magical recreational opportunities. This important gift has let us offer an amazing camp experience for campers of all abilities.
At Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, we believe in celebrating what makes each person strong. Our programs let everyone join in, no matter what special needs they might have. Our Challenge Course currently consists of our Rock Wall, Zip Line, and Giant Swing, and is a great example of this. It’s a place where campers of different abilities have fun, feel strong, and quite literally fly!
To make sure our camp programs stay safe and fun, we need to follow strict rules and update our gear. This is where the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation’s help comes in. Their support helped us secure important items for the Challenge Course so campers can keep having exciting adventures that make them feel confident and happy.
Their generosity also enabled us to purchase a special seat harness that helps campers with physical disabilities or sensory differences stay comfy and safe. This adaptive harness has a taller and more rigid structure that better supports campers’ necks and trunks and squeezes less on certain areas. Previously, we used an adaptive sling and airplane pillows/lifejackets to do this job, but it’s not always the most comfy or supportive for campers, and it takes a lot of time for our staff.
As we look back on how much the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has helped us, we want to say a big thank you. Their help doesn’t just make camp fun; it also helps us give campers a chance to learn, grow, and make wonderful memories. Together, we are helping to ensure every camper is 100% included and 100% Empowered. Thank you, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, for being by our side on this journey!
At Easterseals, we love to celebrate milestone moments. Our clients, families, and therapists work together to set and achieve goals. Whatever the milestone moment, we are here to celebrate it. Because every child is worth celebrating.
Like our friend, Briar! Briar is now sitting up independently, and we are so proud of him. His Dad recently shared this on his Facebook page:
“This week at Easterseals, we celebrated him reaching one of his longstanding PT/OT goals (a little overdue), laying to sitting all unassisted. To some this may seem minuscule or something a “normal” child would have done years ago, for us, it brings tears of joy. All the staff surprised Briar and cheered him on. We are thankful for the amazing staff at Easterseals that love him, but let’s be honest who couldn’t. He is honestly the sweetest thing I have ever known. I ask all of you to take the time to educate your children and any who will listen on those with disabilities and spread kindness in this world of hate. I promise you, they likely have a bigger heart than you.
Easterseals Central Illinois and the Passage to India Event Proudly Announce
2023 Banyan Tree Award Winner: Sanjay Poonen
Friday, August 4th 2023, (East Peoria, IL)- The 2023 Passage to India Event took place on Friday, August 4th at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria. In its 17th year, the event has raised over $4.5 million for the children and families of Easterseals Central Illinois. Passage to India also presents the Banyan Tree Award at the event every year. The 2023 Banyan Tree Award Winner is Sanjay Poonen, President and CEO of Cohesity.
“The Passage to India Board of Directors is honored to present the 2023 Banyan Tree Award to Sanjay Poonen” said Seshadri Guha, CEO and founder of TADA Cognitive Solutions. “Sanjay displays exceptional leadership in the tech industry, transforming multi-billion dollar businesses and fostering international goodwill. Through his innovative strategies, commitment to diversity, and philanthropic efforts, he exemplifies the true spirit of the Banyan Tree Award, leaving a remarkable impact on the global community.”
The above video features introductory recognitions and tributes to Sanjay by Pat Gelsinger (CEO of Intel), Raj Subramaniam (CEO of FedEx), and Vish Mishra (Founder of TiE and Venture Capitalist).
“I am deeply humbled and honored to accept the prestigious Banyan Tree Award from Easterseals Central Illinois and the Passage to India Board of Directors. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to both organizations for their incredible work supporting children with disabilities and fostering community engagement in Central Illinois,” said Sanjay Poonen. “Together, we can make the world a better place by giving our time, talent, and resources. My family’s values of sacrifice and servant leadership have shaped my life, and I find joy in serving others”.
In his acceptance speech, Sanjay shared one of his favorite poems, which was fitting for the occasion.
About The Banyan Tree Award
This prestigious award named after the National Tree of India is presented annually to one or more persons in recognition of lifetime accomplishments, significant achievements, and exemplary contributions toward global economic prosperity, cross-cultural collaboration, and international goodwill. The award acknowledges strategic innovation in global markets, visionary leadership, and fostering the time honored spirit of philanthropy.
Passage to India to benefit Easterseals has become widely recognized as a premier destination cultural event in Peoria “Celebrating Our Cultures Combined”.
Past winners include
Dr. Rajesh Soin – Chairman and CEO, Soin LLC
Raj Subramaniam – President, FedEx
Dr. Mehmood Khan – Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, PepsiCo
Rajiv Gupta – Founder/CEO, Stealth Startup
Dr. Norman Borlaug, American Agronomist
Jai Shekhawat – Founder, Fieldglass
Romi Kadri – Managing Partner, Capella Partners
Desh Deshpande – President and Chairman, Sparta Group
Dr. Vijay Govindarajan – Coxe Distinguished Professor of Management, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth
Sanjay Khosla – CEO, Bunnik
Vish Mishra – Venture Director, Clearstone Venture Partners and President and Trustee Emeritus, TiE
Arun Nayar – Entrepreneur
Sam Pitroda – Telecom Engineer, Entrepreneur
Ashok Trivedi – Co-Founder/Co-Chairman, Mastech Inc. and IGATE
About Sanjay Poonen
As Chief Executive Officer and President, Sanjay Poonen leads Cohesity in its mission to radically simplify how organizations manage their data and unlock limitless value. Sanjay is a proven business executive with over 25 years of experience in scaling multi-billion dollar businesses and building strong teams. Most recently, Sanjay was COO at VMware, where he oversaw sales, marketing, services and alliances, doubling VMware from approximately $6B to $12B in revenue. Poonen played a vital role in architecting multiple successful cloud partnerships, including AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle. He also led the company’s security and end-user computing businesses, including the acquisition of AirWatch and Carbon Black. Prior to VMware, Poonen served as President of SAP where he led SAP’s Applications, Industries and Platform teams, serving in engineering and sales roles that helped double SAP from approximately $10B to $20B in revenue.
He began his career as a software engineer at Microsoft and Apple. Sanjay has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated a Baker Scholar which designates his position in the top 5% of his graduating class, a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science, math and engineering from Dartmouth College, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Sanjay holds two patents. Poonen serves on the Supervisory Board of Philips, and Board of Snyk.
Over his career, Sanjay has been involved in a number of philanthropic organizations as a result of his leadership in philanthropic efforts at SAP, VMware and Cohesity. This includes work with the American Red Cross, Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank, The Salvation Army, International Justice Mission, Mercy Ships, Girls Who Code, and The/Nudge Institute. He has also been active with the US-India Strategic Partner Forum, Indiaspora, and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). Sanjay also is proud to serve as a resource to hundreds of younger generation technology leaders both in the United States and India over his career.
Sanjay is also delighted to support Easterseals Central Illinois through a donation to Passage to India. Sanjay lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife Katherine and their three children.
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