ROTARY
DISTRICT 6110
CONNECTING with
HUMANITY
ROTARIANS DELIVERING FREEDOM, MOBILITY AND INDEPENDENCE
this issue • Mexico • Tyson Tigers
Our Mission Allison Lind touched this lady’s heart
The American Wheelchair
Ellie Tonquest won the 6110 drawing for the trip to change children’s lives
Mission is a non-profit organization with a goal to deliver brand new, free wheelchairs and mobility aids to physically disabled children, teens and adults throughout the world who are without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair. The American
Wheelchair Noel Morris gets this boy rolling
Mission will continue to
Giselle gave Razorback stickers to each wheelchair recipient
Anne Williams made a new friend during a home visit
change the lives of entire families with the gifts of hope, dignity, freedom and independence.
The Need We estimate more than 100 million people worldwide are in need of a
Gary Piker and this young boy became good friends
wheelchair but cannot afford one.
Our gift
immediately changes the lives of entire families by answering prayers and making
dreams
come
true.
Marc and Debbie Van Pelt make new friends
1 American Wheelchair Mission
Both son and father were all smiles when they received a new wheelchair
$150 Sponsors the delivery of a brand new wheelchair
Connecting with Humanity The eleventh annual wheelchair distribution trip for the Rotary Club of Springdale, AR and District 6110 was on the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The most famous city in this state is Cancun, and it is known to most of the world as a luxurious vacation spot in the sun on the Caribbean Sea. The other side of Cancun, never seen by tourists, are the homes of very poor people without mobility, and the Teleton Rehabilitation Center for Children or CRIT, that helps children with a myriad of physical disabilities get treatment and preparation for a better life. It is estimated that more than 500,000 children in Mexico are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. The life-changing gift of mobility in the form of 280 brand new wheelchairs, sponsored by the Rotarians of District 6110, had a profound impact on the residents of the Cancun area. Some spoke Spanish, and some spoke Mayan, but the universal language of love and gratitude came through loud and clear from every recipient, their families and friends. The first day of distributions was at the CRIT center in Cancun. Approximately 200 children received their new wheelchairs that day. For some small children, the CRIT will put an adaptive seat into the wheelchair for proper support, but others got in and immediately laid rubber. Parents who were carrying large children every day fought back tears of joy. Their lives would also be changed immediately. Many smiles, tears, hugs and warm embraces were enjoyed by everyone. A 16-year-old girl named Elsa was stricken with an unidentified illness a year ago that left her without complete
control of her motor skills. She cried tears of joy that now she could go shopping with her girlfriends, and felt like she was “flying” in her new wheelchair.
The
wheelchair
ered
by
deliv-
the American
Wheelchair Mission would sell for more than $500
Springdale Rotarian Chris Weiser, his wife Debby, daughter Heather Lind, her husband Jason and their children Allison and Andrew made up three generations giving the life changing gift of mobility to families in dire need of wheelchairs. Allison, 11 said, “I think this is probably the nicest thing I could ever do for anyone.”
at a medical supply store. Yet because we purchase wheelchairs directly from the manufacturer, and ship them 100 to 280 wheelchairs at a time by ocean freight containers directly
The second day of distributions were in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Cancun and its past president Edgar Corona. The 30 visitors from the US split up into four groups to deliver wheelchairs individually to the homes of recipients around Cancun.
to the country of destination, we can deliver this $500 wheelchair with each $150 donation we receive.
Numerous stories can be shared about each delivery, but Stewart Brunner from the Rotary Club of Mountain Home, AR, who brought his son Eric and nephew Michael, said, “After our experience today, I don’t believe there is any better way to connect with humanity.” Ellie Tonquest of Tulsa, who won the trip to Cancun at the 6110 District conference, said, “We saw people’s lives being changed today. This is a very important and significant event for the parents and children who receive a wheelchair.”
VISIT OUR SITE Amwheelchair.org
The Rotarians and their families from District 6110 have had an enormous impact on the families of wheelchair recipients in Cancun with the delivery of 280 wheelchairs, but now, the Springdale club subsequently has sponsored an additional 110 wheelchairs for the Rotary Club of Cancun to deliver throughout their community, and the stories of lives saved and prayers answered continues.
lives in a very tangible and
On our website you will see videos of wheelchair distributions around the world, photos of people and their families who had their lives changed by the gift of a wheelchair, and stories of our mission that touches immediate way.
Join Us! Join us on a wheelchair distribution trip – Please email
Chris
Lewis
at:
clewis@amwheelchair.org for details.
2 www.amwheelchair.org
The 2013 wheelchair distribution team
A wheelchair changes parents and children’s lives instantly
Stewart and Elsa agree it is thumbs up time
Mobility changes a child’s outlook on life
Matthew Jaycox and Anders Davidson did not need a translator to understand the love and thanks in this woman’s heart
Elsa said she felt like she was flying
3 American Wheelchair Mission
She can now do her needlework sitting up, and go to church with her family
Tyson Tigers Working for Wheels 2005-2013 By: Cathy Crouch K-5 school children are not too young to learn the joy of giving to the less fortunate by working for the money they raise. In 2005, I was working as the Gifted/Talented Facilitator at Tyson Elementary School in Springdale, Arkansas, and had just been on a Springdale Rotary Club wheelchair distribution to Mexico with my husband Jim and daughter Mary Catherine. I knew that fellow teacher Sandy Morris had organized a wheelchair fundraiser at her middle school, and I wanted to have one at John Tyson Elementary. I talked to my Principal, Mrs. Lola Malone, about doing a school wide fundraiser to deliver wheelchairs to people in need of mobility. She agreed and suggested that we incorporate our Character Education program, and the children should work for the money they raise. The Working for Wheels program was begun! We taught Character words “Love, Compassion, Patience, Perseverance, Work, Kindness, and Honesty,” along with Economic Concepts of “Work, Human Capital, Decisions, Choices, Saving, and Spending.” We showed the wheelchair delivery video that first pulled at my heartstrings at a faculty meeting. They were sold on the idea and provided materials on Working, Loving, Giving, and Saving to the students. We sent letters home to involve the parents in choosing ways the children could work. I enlisted former students who could help keep records of the donations, make graphs and signs for classroom display. We created two main lessons,
“Human Capital” and “Design a Logo and a Motto.” To make students aware of their Human Capital, we used the book “Those Can-Do Pigs” by David McPhail. We talked about what jobs or work the Can-Do Pigs did, and which of those could be jobs or work the students could do. Each class brainstormed ideas, and each student drew a picture of themselves doing a job. We talked about “Working, Earning, and Saving.” We let them come up with their own slogans and artwork to advertise our program to the school and community. At the end of the year, we asked the students how they felt knowing they had helped so many people. They said they felt JOY!! Many of the students became entrepreneurs by selling lemonade, having garage sales, doing chores around their home and neighborhood. Each year the kids got more and more inventive and set their goals higher. This year, second grader Knox Graham, raised over $2,000. He did this by talking to business people, doing chores and asking for matching funds. Jackson Kuykendall set up a mini-golf course in his neighborhood to raise funds. We are so fortunate to have the support of the Rotary Club of Springdale, and our corporate sponsors Arvest Bank and Tyson Foods. To celebrate the project, we decided to have a “Walk for Wheels” in May each year, where the entire school (teachers and 550 students) walk the two miles from school to the Tyson Corporate offices. Arvest Bank and Tyson Foods have supported us for the
past eight years, and this year donated $500 each. In 2009, our partners at Arvest Bank came up with a program we named “The Arvest Bank Ambassadors.” The Bank Ambassadors designed a brochure to hand out to customers and their “job “ was to act as greeters, hand out popcorn, and give the message that they were “Working for Wheels” for their “employer,” Arvest Bank. Every Friday from March to May, our Ambassadors worked at two Springdale Arvest banks, wearing their nametags and a smile. One of the great thrills of this program for me was when Larry and Brenda Nelson from the Rotary Club of Mountain Home took their grandchildren, Luke, Grace and Isaac Hannon, on wheelchair distributions to Panama, Jamaica, and Mexico. All three had participated in the wheelchair fundraisers when they were students at John Tyson Elementary, and we loved showing the pictures of our Tyson kids placing people in wheelchairs. In the first year of our program, Mrs. Malone and I hoped to raise enough money to sponsor one wheelchair per grade, but at the end of that first year we had raised $5000! In eight years we have raised $65,000! So far… Love in Action. It works and it’s contagious! “Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi
4 www.amwheelchair.org
Tyson Tigers are Unstoppable
Lan Lan Dai’s Help others more than yourself
Cathy Crouch and Lola Malone
Mike McFarland with Bank Ambassadors
Amanda Anthney 5th grade
Jackson Kuykendall, Hayden Hydorn, Liem Taylor & Baylor Baugh
McKinley and Kennedy - Arvest Bank Ambassadors
5 American Wheelchair Mission
Duct tape wallet makers Lilly Miller and Alexia Brito
Kids who donated one wheelchair each in 2013
Shreya Gandhi Lemonade Stand
“Work for Wheels� by Megan Boyce, 5th Grade
Knox Graham raised $2,000 for wheelchairs
6 www.amwheelchair.org
The American Wheelchair Mission delivers free wheelchairs to children, teens and adults without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair.
2003 – Tepic, Mexico 2004 – Tepic, Mexico 2005 – Constitucion & La Paz, Mexico 2006 – Puebla, Mexico 2007 – Zihuatanejo, Mexico 2008 – San Jose, Costa Rica 2009 – Cancun, Mexico 2010 – Panama City, Panama 2011 – Spanish Town & Montego Bay, Jamaica 2012 – Guanajuato, Mexico 2013 – Cancun, Mexico
The brand new wheelchairs we deliver in 5 sizes (12, 14, 16, 18 & 20 inch seat widths) would sell for over $500 in a medical supply store, but because we ship by 100 to 280 wheelchair containers from the factories directly to the country of delivery, we can do this at an average price of $150 each for a basic mobility wheelchair. For entities interested in delivering an entire container of wheelchairs to a specific country or local destination, a gift of $16,500 will deliver a shipping container of 100 pneumatic, mountain bike or 110 solid rubber tire wheelchairs to a country specified by the donor, from our list of approved destination countries. A gift of $42,000 will deliver a container of 260 pneumatic, mountain bike tire or 280 solid rubber tire wheelchairs. A logo or short text of the donor’s choice will be stitched onto the back of each wheelchair when sponsored by container. At retail these containers of wheelchairs are valued at $55,000 and $140,000. (For special sizes or delivery locations prices may vary) The wheelchairs we deliver allow children to go to school for the first time, adults to go to work to provide for their families and the elderly to get out of a bed that they may have been confined to for years at a time. We are answering the prayers of entire families. Our mission is to deliver a wheelchair or mobility aid to anyone in dire need who cannot afford one. Over 100 million people worldwide need a wheelchair but cannot afford one! Our gift delivers Hope, Dignity, Freedom and Independence. We estimate that each wheelchair delivered changes and improves an average of 10 lives! The American Wheelchair Mission also delivers all terrain wheelchairs and pediatric wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders. These wheelchairs are custom fitted and require additional funding. In addition, we deliver canes, crutches, walkers, seat cushions and other mobility aids as needed. For more information about our mission, please visit our website at www.amwheelchair.org, or contact:
Cathy Crouch Volunteer Director – Midwest 111 Suttle Drive Springdale, AR 72764 cjcrouch@amwheelchair.org (479) 751-5735 / (479) 409-4634
Chris Lewis President 2505 Anthem Village Drive, Suite E 602 Henderson, NV 89052 clewis@amwheelchair.org (702) 580-0705
Three generations of Wheelchair Angels R to L - Chris and Debby Weiser, Allison, Andrew, Heather and Jason Lind
© Copyright 2013 American Wheelchair Mission | Photos by: Randy Hale, Cathy Crouch & Chris Lewis
Springdale / 6110 Delivery Missions
We deliver brand new, high quality wheelchairs by entire sea containers.