Parkdale comes together to support Jordan Isaac, a beacon of joy for singing, dancing, drumming, beatboxing, and biking.

Twenty-year-old Jordan Isaac has become something of a local celebrity in Parkdale, thanks to the drum solos, gospel serenades and beatbox shows he performs in his window, delighting passersby. “Total strangers would recognize Jordan on the street, walk up to us and say, ‘That’s the guy in the window!’ ”Says her sister Abigail Whitney. “This shows how what we love to do can make a positive difference in someone else’s life.”

During the pandemic, he went to the Elm Grove Living Center every day for eight months, where he played drums outside for residents and front-line workers. “Without knowing it, Jordan loves everyone in different ways,” says his sister Woodney Pierre. “It is always reflected in their actions and it touches people.” The big shots have noticed: recently received two accolades from your MP, Arif Virani, for his leadership and community service.

Isaac, who has Down syndrome, is also a vibrant presence on the city’s athletic scene – he has run in Special Olympics and represented his school in the intellectual 100-meter category at the Federation of School Associations championships. Ontario Athletics (OFSAA). and he even ran 5K with Kevin Hart, who cheered him on.

Isaac is especially loved in the cycling community. “I have a lot of fun riding my bike,” he says. He wears a helmet he painted in seven different wild hues and rides a brightly colored bike that he built and customized from recycled parts with the support of the charity Charlie’s Freewheels. “His youth program strengthened and continued to build Jordan’s confidence while riding his bike,” says Whitney. “For Jordan, riding a bike is synonymous with building a relationship and developing a friendship.”

His fellow cycling enthusiast Jamal Burger, founder of the nonprofit organization for the empowerment of underserved youth, The Kickback, met Isaac at a community run and, along with Kickback team member Desiree Bailey, Christopher McGarrell of ManDem Cycling Club, artist Bryan Espiritu and Isaac’s sister Stella Isaac dreamed up Cycle Jordan, a five-kilometer bike ride to raise money for the young man’s speech therapy. “Cycle Jordan was a simple idea to encourage everyone to love the little things in life, which can open doors you never imagined,” says Burger. “The costs of Isaac support are very high and we think it is important to create cost awareness. We always feel that the children who need the most are the ones who receive the least ”.

According to Stella, her brother’s speech therapy is no longer funded due to his age. “Any session can cost more than $ 100,” he says, “and weekly sessions are necessary for consistency and growth.”

“Jordan is an exceptional man,” says Bailey, “and the fundraiser was created to help him reach his optimal development potential.” Helping people like Isaac is especially important, adds Bailey, because “there are BIPOC people with disabilities and the intersectionality of their identity and social structure puts them in a position of oppressive systems of racism and disability.”

In the weeks leading up to the 2020 maiden voyage, Isaac had a strict training regimen of singing, dancing, juggling, and, yes, some cycling. More than 100 people participated in the trip, which raised $ 5,495 for their speech therapy.

The therapy has been a real blessing for her brother, according to Stella. “His speech is clearer and he’s more confident,” she says. “He’s using new vocabulary words and sentences that he didn’t use before. I’ve also noticed that Jordan expresses his needs more clearly: ‘I want to go for a bike ride,’ ‘I want to have ice cream with Desiree.’

This year, organizers wanted to help more people, so they raised their goal to $ 15,000 and started raising funds for Saïdou Diabaye from Parkdale and Djaliatou Kante from Scarborough, who also have Down syndrome. Determined to get over last year’s performance, Isaac mastered a new dance routine to Drake’s “What’s Next” and perfected his cartwheel. the The August 21 trip raised $ 16,360.

Bailey says that her brother’s positive vibes are sorely needed these days. “This world, and specifically the last few years, has been very isolated,” he says. “But Isaac reminds us of the importance of human connection … how a smile, a hello, or a reminder that ‘you’re amazing’ can go a long way.”

For Isaac, everything is very easy: “I like to make people happy.”