Always B Smiling to unveil Sensory Garden during Miles for Smiles event
Bennett Huibregtse, or “B,” was a special young man who smiled even through difficult challenges in his short life and inspired the growing campus of buildings along the Montour Trail on Valleybrook Road, appropriately named “Always B Smiling.”
A Miles for Smiles event is planned for July 20 to celebrate the life of Huibregtse, and proceeds will help continue the programs offered for special needs individuals of all ages. The family event includes a 116-yard dash, 5K, food and activities, performance by the Spectrum Band and tours of the new Sensory Garden.
The festivities start at 8 a.m. at Always B Smiling, 106 Valleybrook Road in McMurray, along the Montour Trail. Registration is free, but required at www.alwaysbsmiling.org.
The second phase of the Always Be Smiling campus, the Sensory Garden includes musical instruments along its borders, features that twirl, and swings.
The Sensory Garden was designed at a cost of $261,000 and paid for by the Washington County Local Share Account generated from gaming proceeds.
Located just outside of the garden is a greenhouse, providing space for hands-on gardening activities “that nurture not only plants, but also confidence, joy and a sense of purpose,” said co-founder Kristen Huibregtse, Bennett’s mother.
The greenhouse, built with donor funds, will be equipped with ADA-compliant growing tables, gardening tools and will be similar to an indoor/outdoor classroom. During programming, participants will be paired with a buddy, giving the parent or caregiver some respite time to relax on the grounds.
Kristen and Dean Huibregtse created the nonprofit five years ago after the loss of both of their children to autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, with the aim of helping individuals with special needs family members. Matthew Huibregtse passed away shortly after birth, and Bennett at the age of 16, in 2020.
Shortly before Bennett died, his parents ordered an adaptive bike, called a “Duet” bike from Norway.
The Duet bike allows the participant to sit in a chair attached to the front of the bike, which is operated by a “pilot” seated behind. The seating arrangement gives a totally different perspective for the rider than the typical trailer pulled behind the bike.
“A Duet bike is very costly. Bennett only got to use it a couple months before he left this earth,” said Kristen Huibregste. The Tandem Connection kept the bike after Bennett died and even offered rides.
“Then people were donating bikes and we had three bikes, so we offered more rides,” Kristen said. The fleet is now up to six Duet bikes. Growth continued through donors and grants with first a building to house the bikes, called Matt’s Garage, and then a 2,000-square-foot activity and learning center that opened last year.
Programming has branched out from biking to include adaptive yoga, adaptive sports, creative arts, Baking for a Cause and now horticulture therapy.
“We have been organic in our growth, through word of mouth. It’s spread and we are growing by leaps and bounds. Our programming has grown by 400% over the last year,” Kristen Huibregtse said.
Liz Smolka of Mt. Lebanon and her son Benjamin, 7, found Always B Smiling through another event. Now she brings her son to the group bike rides on Saturdays, and she rides along. “Any gross motor activity he thrives at, so this is perfect for him to be able to sit back and enjoy it,” Smolka said. Benjamin is blind and non-verbal.
Saturday rides are designed to allow siblings and parents to ride bikes with their family member who is riding on the Duet bike. Electric bikes are available for use by family members. Three volunteers are needed for each Duet bike – a pilot and two side riders.
“This gives them the freedom to come out as a family, something they may have never done before,” Kristen said. There’s always an ice cream social afterward.
“Everything is complimentary to our families and participants. We know from raising Bennett that we need to support the family and siblings and parents as much as the participant because everyone is on that journey together,” she said.
Smolka is among the parents who appreciate the programming at Always B Smiling.
“There are very few places that have things that are inclusive for kids who may be different, so it’s allowed us to have special time and allowed him to do things he loves that I can also enjoy with him, because sometimes you get robbed of that. You don’t get to do a lot of the things that you envision with your kids,” Smolka said.
While biking is the favorite activity for Jacob Fawcett, 28, of Castle Shannon, he also likes being the “lead baker” in the kitchen for Baking with a Cause, a program that teaches skills while giving back to the community.
“There’s not enough for kids over 21 with special needs,” said Annette Fawcett, Jacob’s mom. Jacob’s parents both ride bikes during the group rides with Jacob. “We search high and low for activities for him, especially in the South Hills, there’s just not a lot. This has just been a blessing,” Fawcett said.
The center is primarily staffed by volunteers. Programming is available through Sign Up Genius.
Go to www.alwaysbsmiling.org to register for Miles for Smiles or to become a volunteer.