CHICAGO — A local company is bringing some entertainment to bored kids across the city as they remain cooped up during the stay-at-home order.
When trucks pull into the loading dock of the Cradles to Crayons warehouse, it’s usually a delivery of necessities like diapers and clothing for Chicago families in need.
But this truck was different, stacked high with every kind of wheeled, ride-on toy imaginable.
A thousand brand new Radio Flyer wagons.
“We were so excited,” said Shoshana Buchholz-Miller, Cradles to Crayons. “I mean these are not small items. These are red wagons and ride alongs.”
Every new box being shipped out to quarantined kids across Chicago.
“When people are cooped up at home, we wanted to make sure families in need would have that opportunity to have fun,” said Robert Pasin, Radio Flyer.
Just days later, the thank you’s started coming in.
“It just shows the joy. It’s like opening a birthday present or a Christmas present,” said Buchholz-Miller.
Cradles to Crayons has helped hundreds of thousands of families with basic needs in their time. Pasin wanted to make sure kids aren’t just getting just clothes, but a solid helping of fun.
“We heard about this one little boy named Abdul who had been riding our Cyclone — which is an armed powered ride because you can do 360s on it. His mom said she just loves to watch him ride this, smile and laugh. That’s what we live for at Radio Flyer is these kinds of stories,” said Pasin.
Radio Flyer was started by Robert Pasin’s grandfather Antonio Pasin. He immigrated here from Italy and began making the famous wagons in his garage on Chicago’s West Side.