Most adults can remember a moment from childhood when they were chosen, or when they weren’t.
It might have been something small: being picked for a team, recognized by a teacher, or called up for an award. But those moments tend to stay. Not because of the event itself, but because of what it represents, being seen.
In communities like Burbank, where schools, sports, and extracurricular activities play a big role in daily life, those experiences are part of growing up. But not every child gets them.
“Not every kid is going to be the top student or the best athlete,” said Adrianos Facchetti, founder of Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti. “But every kid still wants to feel like they matter.”
Through his work as a personal injury attorney, Facchetti spends much of his time helping individuals and families rebuild after difficult events. Over time, that work has reinforced how early experiences, especially those tied to confidence and self-worth, can shape how people move through challenges later in life.
It’s part of what inspired the firm’s Bikes for Kids initiative, now entering its 5th year in Burbank this coming July.
Each summer, the program invites the community to nominate deserving children. The focus isn’t on achievements that are already visible, but on qualities that often go unnoticed: perseverance, kindness, and quiet leadership.
The selected children are invited to the firm’s office, where they receive a new bike, a helmet, and something less tangible but just as meaningful, a moment of recognition.
“One of the things we hear every year is, ‘This is the first time they’ve ever been picked for anything,’” Facchetti said. “That stays with you.”
Child development experts have long emphasized the role of recognition in building confidence. While structured rewards like grades or trophies have their place, informal acknowledgment, especially from trusted adults, can be just as influential.
In Burbank, where community involvement remains a defining feature of the city, those moments often happen in everyday settings: classrooms, sidewalks, local parks, and neighborhood events.
As families look ahead to the summer months, programs like Bikes for Kids serve as a reminder that impact doesn’t always come from large-scale initiatives. Sometimes, it starts with a simple decision to notice.
“Being chosen doesn’t have to be rare,” Facchetti said. “It just has to be intentional.”
