The GoBabyGo! program kicked off its seventh year at Edgewood Middle School Thursday and will provide four toddlers with modified Jeeps.
In 2019, Project Lead the Way teacher Abbi Richcreek launched the GoBabyGo! program at Edgewood to provide mobility solutions for young children who have physical impairments. The program adapts ride-on toy cars to meet the needs of each child, giving them the freedom to move, play and connect with others.
Since its inception, 27 ride-on toy cars have been customized for children in the community.
Working in teams of three or four, Edgewood students collaborate with engineers from the community who serve as mentors throughout the program.
During the process, mentors from Dalton, DePuy and Grace College work with students to redesign and rebuild 12-volt Jeeps. It typically involves six to seven sessions, each lasting about two hours. The teams take into consideration what issues there are with the toddler and modify the Jeep accordingly.
This year, the four Jeeps will be given to the toddlers at Third Friday April 18.
Richcreek said they were able to get a Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services (KEYS) grant for the jeeps and the rest of the money needed for the GoBabyGo! program was raised from selling shirts. Each of the jeeps costs about $250 and it takes up to about $300 per car to modify each Jeep.

    Pictured are Abbi Richcreek, Project Lead the Way teacher at Edgewood Middle school; and parents, toddlers, Edgewood Middle School students and mentors participating in the GoBabyGo! program. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
  

Richcreek also recognized three volunteers who have dedicated their time every year for the past seven years - Matt Miller, Dalton Foundry; Russ Lowry, Johnson & Johnson Med Tech; and Aaron Turner, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital physical therapist. Richcreek also said many other engineers have contributed multiple years of service as well.
Richcreek said through the GoBabyGo! program, they want to create independence for the toddlers who receive the Jeep so they can go out and have a normal play time and make connections with others.
For Edgewood students, Richcreek said she hopes they understand the impact they are making in the community by seeing the end result of what they are doing.
Edgewood student Evan Goshert said he was participating in the program because he likes engineering and helping people with disabilities. He said the program is really fun. He hopes to get an idea of how to fix problems out of participating in the program.
Mentor Shaun Crist, senior quality engineer with Johnson & Johnson, said this is his second year participating in GoBabyGo!
The benefits of the program to the middle school students is to possibly encourage them into engineering and show them anything is possible. For the toddlers, the program helps them by providing another means to getting around.
Parent Steven Corbitt said the program is very nice and exciting.
“Overwhelming is probably the best way to put it,” he said.
He hopes the Jeep can give daughter Lyla something to do outside with her sister, as well as other kids in the neighborhood.
Edgewood student Jaedyn McClure said this is the first year participating for her in the program. Her mother explained to McClure what the GoBabyGo! program was and it inspired her to try to help kids that need help.