You start by choosing a base for your Radio Flyer Stroller Wagon. Every stroller wagon base will have a push handle, which is similar to a jogging stroller. These push handles can adjust for height, or fold all the way down for storing, and this is what makes your wagon a stroller instead of simply a decked-out wagon. Because steel was needed for the war effort, the frozen ride on toys of the World War II era were made of wood. The company redesigned the wheel bearings to be smooth and quiet during this period. They featured all metal bodies, colorful wheels, and plenty of imagination-sparking details.
So at the age of 16, his family sold their mule and he used the funds to travel to America. Little did he know that adults would find a use for those wagons on Fire Island as a way of transporting luggage, groceries and more in a place where there were no cars, and where you walked everywhere. Used all over Fire Island they were kept at the harbor where you could easily access them upon arrival.
Radio Flyer is one of the oldest remaining national toy companies still owned and operated by the founding family. The Radio Flyer team interviewed hospital staff and conducted in-field observations before putting pen to paper on a design. From there, the team sketched, prototyped and tested custom versions of the iconic wagon that could best meet the needs of patients and hospital staff. After several months of design and production, the Hero Wagon was born. This wagon includes Radio Flyer’s patented one-hand folding design making it easy to store– ideal for hospitals’ tight hallways and restricted storage space. “That was just a brilliant brand-building idea, because the World’s Fair was such a huge deal,” Robert says.
BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals. “It’s just been this incredible partnership,” says Pasin, who’s led the company since 1997 and is the grandson of Antonio Pasin, who founded Radio Flyer in 1917.
In 1977, the company improved its core product with several patented safety features. These included a new ball joint between the wagon handle and the undercarriage in which fingers could not get pinched, razor ride ons and a controlled turning radius to prevent accidental tipping. It also deployed new toys, such as the Fireball 2000, a 1970s children’s car. In 1997, Radio Flyer marked 80 years in the wagon business.
Built in 1989 as part of the “Centennial Celebration of Children,” the world’s largest is not just a sculpture to be viewed, but to be played on as well. The vintage toy replica stands 12 feet tall and is made of over 26 tons of concrete and steel. Children and adults alike are welcome to climb into the bed of the wagon, which is big enough to fit around 300 people. The giant white handle also acts as a slide so no one is tempted to just hop out of the towering toy. Simple red wagons may have lost some of their childhood cache over the years, but this larger-than-life icon of innocence does a fine job of transporting visitors back to the days when imagination was king. Sixteen-year-old Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin arrived in New York in 1914 carrying little else than the carpentry skills he had learned from his father and grandfather.
Robert’s biggest challenge has been reinventing the company, which he’s done by focusing exclus‐ ively on children’s toys, expanding product development and moving manufacturing abroad. Located on Chicago’s Far West Side, Radio Flyer is the world’s leading wagon maker, manufacturing high-quality products for children since 1917. The makers of the original little red wagon, Radio Flyer is the only company to produce plastic, steel and wood wagons.
Local communities can also play a part in the Hero Wagon story. Beginning now, anyone has the option to donate a Hero Wagon by visiting starlight.org/wagons. For more information about the Hero Wagon, please visit radioflyer.com/hero-wagon. The 45-foot tall Coaster Boy wood and plaster statue of a young boy and wagon was constructed by Radio Flyer for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, Century of Progress. This playground sculpture of an icon from the past is dedicated to the children of the future.
“Her favorite thing to do when she is admitted is to go on wagon rides. That’s the one thing we can do every time to pass the time and to keep her happy and to help keep her as comfortable during treatments,” Laura said. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
Starlight Children’s Foundation is a 5013 organization that delivers happiness to seriously ill children and their families. To learn more and to help Starlight deliver happiness to seriously ill kids this year, visit and follow Starlight on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Antonio’s biggest bet came in 1933, when he took out a $30,000 loan for a Radio Flyer exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair.