Tampa Bay Personalities Land 'Behind Bars' to Raise Bail for Children's Mobility Charity

Some faced serious-sounding charges, but the "convicts" at a Tampa fundraiser on Friday were all smiling. The 12th annual "Jail and Bail" event, held at Eddie V's restaurant, turned the venue into a makeshift prison for the evening in support of a good cause.

About a dozen "inmates" took part, each working to collect bail money for Wheelchairs 4 Kids, a local charity that provides adaptive equipment and activities for young people in the area.

Among those locked up was Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, widely recognized as the voice of the Tampa Bay Lightning. She sings the national anthem before nearly every Bolts home game, and she kept her trademark smile while behind bars. She said the result of the evening is what counts. "It's going to be little kids in the wheelchairs that they need," she said from inside her cell, adding that the key is raising the money so they can get the chairs.

Bryson-Kirksey also sang a few songs during the event to bring in more bail money, using her talent to help children with adaptive equipment do whatever they want to do. "They want to be mobile, and they want to be moving around and doing things that normal kids would do," she said, adding that the wheelchairs will make that possible.

Jail and Bail is one of three major fundraisers the charity holds each year. Programs Manager Nina Shaw said it gives the organization a chance to connect with the community, including people who care about the special needs community and are willing to give their time, talent and money to share the experience with the children.

For 17-year-old Shane Kaufman, the group continues to deliver on its mission of mobility and inclusion. He described activities such as water skiing and snow skiing as simply fun. "I love hanging out with everybody," he said, adding that he has loved the people there since the first day.

His mother, Denielle Ellis, said parents never tire of seeing their children take part in the same things as other kids. She noted that children are even seen on the field on their bikes, and that people stare less at a bike than at a chair. Children can play with their siblings rather than watching from the front porch or inside, she said, and they want to go to theme parks and do what their school friends do.

Shaw said the moment a child receives new equipment is the part of her job she loves most. She described watching a child move from a small, uncomfortable wheelchair into a new, specialized, properly seated one and realize the discomfort and pain are gone. "He can move. It's such a unique moment," she said. "I cry. I just cry all the time."

More information about Wheelchairs 4 Kids is available at www.wheelchairs4kids.org.