Bella’s Bumbas honored as Official Charitable Organization

If you happened to watch one of the local TV newscasts on Friday night, or if you follow the City of Rochester social media feeds, you might have noticed a familiar face. At a press conference held Friday morning at City Hall, the Rochester St. Patrick’s Parade Committee officially introduced this year’s parade honorees, and Webster’s very own Bella’s Bumbas was one of them — pretty much front and center.

Bella’s Bumbas has been named Official Charitable Organization of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I blogged about this honor a few weeks ago, when the Parade Committee held its first press conference at the Hilton Garden Inn. But watching our Webster friends accept their commemorative sash in the magnificent City Hall atrium, alongside the city’s top officials, turned a great announcement into a truly meaningful milestone.

Rebecca Orr, who co-founded the organization with her husband Marty Parzynski, was on hand to accept the honor, accompanied by volunteer Shelby Deane and her “Bumbaleer” daughter Lyla. In her remarks, Parade Committee Director Kate McBride explained why Bella’s Bumbas is so deserving of this recognition:

Bella’s Bulbas is a remarkable non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children with mobility challenges by providing them with the gift of movement and independence.

Through the design, assembly, and donation of custom-built, child-sized wheelchairs, Bella’s Bumbas ensures that every child, regardless of background or financial circumstance, can explore, play and connect with their world. Each wheelchair is lovingly constructed by passionate volunteers and given to families free of charge, asking only for shipping costs when necessary.

Since its founding ten years ago, Bellas Bumbas has provided 3,500 chairs to children in 70 different countries. That’s an incredible legacy for a grassroots organization that began as a small community effort in one small house.

Accepting the honor, Rebecca credited the organization’s success in large part to her dedicated team of volunteers, here in Rochester and worldwide. And when she was handed her tri-colored sash, she chose not to put it on. Instead, she draped it over Lyla in her wheelchair. “I had to put the sash on Lyla,” she explained, “because Bella’s Bumbas is not about us adults. It’s about the children, and their heroes, the parents who fight for them and advocate for them.”

And THAT selfless perspective is a good illustration of why Marty and Rebecca — and Bella’s Bumbas — deserve this amazing honor.

As the Official Charitable Organization honoree, Bella’s Bumbas will get prime placement near the very beginning of the parade line-up. They’ve been working hard crafting a pretty spectacular float, which will feature several Bumba chairs with “bumbaleers” riding them, hay bales, gold frills and lots of lights. Adult volunteer walkers and some young “test riders” will be rolling beside the float to hand out information and goodies to the crowd. It may very well be the first float in the parade, so it will be difficult to miss. (Check out the photos below for a sneak peek.)

So when you see them, raise a rousing cheer for Bella’s Bumbas, our Webster neighbors, who are changing children’s lives.

The 2026 Tops St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at East Ave. and Alexander St.

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(posted 2/13/2026)

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Tags: Bella's Bumbas, Missy Rosenberry, Webster NY