Riptide Magic Wheelchair Costume Unveiled
October 31, 2019The P.K. Yonge Roaring Riptide Robotics Team 4118, in partnership with the Magic Wheelchair organization, unveiled Paw Patrol-themed wheelchair costumes for local brothers Zyler and Zaivion Mason at Rawlings Elementary School on Thursday, October 31, 2019.
Inspired by watching a Magic Wheelchair unveiling at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference in February 2019, the Roaring Riptide connected with the organization and began developing a costume for 6-year-old Zyler Mason and his wheelchair. Upon learning that Zyler’s 14-year-old brother Zaivion would be trick-or-treating alongside Zyler, the Roaring Riptide sought and received approval from Magic Wheelchair to develop another costume for Zaivion.
Magic Wheelchair is a nonprofit organization that builds costumes for kids and young adults with disabilities. They partner with the Stan Winston School of Character Arts to train builders and bring together incredible and unlikely volunteers, anywhere from local comic book conventions to the special effects industry. After making the connection with Magic Wheelchair and meeting Zyler, Zaivion and their family ,the Roaring Riptide has invested over 800 hours in two months to transform the two wheelchairs into awesome Halloween costumes.
Though deeply involved in the vision for the costumes, the Mason family has not seen the final product. The costume reveal on Halloween (10/31/19) at Rawlings Elementary School at 1:45 pm will be the first time the two brothers and their family will see the result of the Roaring Riptide’s labor of love.
Gainesville Sun: P.K. Yonge Robotics Team Converts Wheelchairs into Costumes
Back to News >