Changing The World Newsletter #40

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Changing

SUMMER 2019

THE WORLD


ABOUT US Our Mission

Mission and Goals

A MESSAGE FROM KEN BEHRING

The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to create awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities, to promote the joy of giving, create global friendship, and to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom.

Our Goal

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n my lifetime I have met many folks who have faced great adversity and persevered: world leaders who have overcome political strife and war, refugees who survive losing their homes and jobs, and the disabled and less fortunate born into poverty and distress. The chance to hear their stories and spend a moment with them, gives me great hope and inspiration. We all face obstacles as we grow. Those who see these challenges as opportunities and choose not to let difficulty define them, truly inspire me. I have learned from them. I have learned to listen to my inner voice, which tells me to “keep going, keep trying.� I have learned to hear those who offer hope, and ignore those who do not. I draw inspiration from those who have adopted and support our causes: Madeline Delp (pictured above with myself and my son, David), the Miss Wheelchair USA pageant winner with aspirations of becoming Miss USA; Josh Routh, the grocery store clerk who uses a wheelchair, and volunteers to work with schoolchildren; Nathan Ogden, who has met tragedy and persevered, and shares his story to inspire others. I encourage everyone to take the time to hear those who have succeeded despite great challenges and find something for yourself in their words. The purpose you are looking for may be right there waiting for you.

The Wheelchair Foundation aims to deliver wheelchairs to people who cannot afford to buy one, and to further the awareness that a wheelchair is no longer an unaffordable relief option for delivery to developing countries around the world.

Mobility Since its establishment on June 13, 2000, the Wheelchair Foundation has witnessed hundreds of thousands of examples of how mobility creates independence and new possibilities for recipients and their families. A mobile child is able to attend school. A mobile adult is able to get a job and provide for their family, or care for the children at home so the spouse can work. An elderly person can rejoin society or family activities after years of staying in a bed. The joy and hope that a simple mobility device can deliver is what gives people a new outlook on life and hope for the future.

Changing the World is published by:

Wheelchair Foundation, 3820 Blackhawk Road, Danville, CA 94506 USA. Copyright 2019 Wheelchair Foundation. All rights reserved.

A Division of Behring Global Educational Foundation Tax ID # 94-3353881

Summer 2019 Issue.

Contact Us:

Written and edited by: Joel Hodge, Program Director

Kenneth E. Behring Founder and Chairman

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Contributors: David Behring, Barbara Bosse, Steve Elliott, Heather Ogden, Roseann Papageorge, Ruth Vado.

Wheelchair Foundation ( 877) 378-3839 - info@wheelchairfoundation.org - www.wheelchairfoundation.org - www.bgefoundation.org - jhodge@wheelchairfoundation.org

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NEWSLINES WHEELCHAIRS COMMITTED OR DELIVERED Afghanistan..............................7,150 Albania......................................... 550 Algeria.......................................1,480 Angola.......................................6,790 Antigua and Barbuda............. 280 Argentina...............................11,569 Armenia................................... 3,244 Australia....................................... 292 Azerbaijan................................... 280 Bahamas...................................2,835 Bangladesh................................. 350 Barbados.................................. 1,510 Belarus..........................................990 Belgium........................................ 280 Belize.........................................3,355 Benin............................................. 280 Bolivia........................................5,574 Bosnia-Herzegovina........... 2,040 Botswana.................................1,688 Brazil......................................... 2,305 Bulgaria........................................ 530 Burundi........................................ 520 Cambodia............................... 3,840 Canada......................................... 560 Cape Verde................................. 780 Central African Republic....... 240 Chile.........................................11,668 China.....................................454,696 Colombia................................13,612 Congo, The Democratic Republic of the.......................... 205 Costa Rica.................................9,403 Croatia.......................................1,300 Cuba...........................................1,800 Cyprus........................................... 280 Czech Republic......................... 597 Dominica..................................... 280 Dominican Republic............9,063 East Timor....................................110 Ecuador...................................10,139 Egypt.......................................... 1,168 El Salvador...........................10,825 Eritrea........................................... 250 Estonia..........................................500 Ethiopia.................................... 3,468 Fiji............................................... 2,280 France........................................... 560 French Polynesia...................... 280 Georgia.....................................1,030 Ghana........................................2,610 Greece.......................................... 520 Grenada....................................... 280 Guam............................................ 250 Guatemala............................ 10,348 Guyana......................................... 250 Haiti............................................5,420 Honduras..................................8,034 Hong Kong................................. 970 Hungary....................................... 120 India...........................................2,716 Indonesia................................ 3,340 Iran............................................. 3,880 Iraq............................................. 4,300 Israel........................................... 8,110 Italy................................................ 580 Jamaica.....................................4,470 Japan.........................................1,750 Jordan........................................5,022 Kazakhstan.............................. 1,510 Kenya.........................................2,930 Kiribati.......................................... 375 Korea, North............................1,352 Korea, South............................5,700 Kosovo.......................................1,300 Kyrgystan.................................1,500 Laos............................................... 780 Latvia............................................ 740 Lebanon...................................2,430 Lesotho.....................................1,060 Liberia........................................... 780

Lithuania..................................1,090 Macedonia.................................. 760 Madagascar.............................1,270 Malawi.......................................3,530 Malaysia................................... 4,040 Maldives.......................................10 Mali.............................................1,060 Malta............................................. 240 Marshall Islands........................ 140 Mauritania.................................. 100 Mexico.................................. 171,859 Micronesia...............................1,265 Moldova....................................1,720 Mongolia..................................1,320 Montenegro............................... 120 Morocco....................................5,470 Mozambique..........................1,660 Myanmar (Burma)................. 1,100 Namibia.......................................466 Nepal........................................ 3,380 Nicaragua.................................9,439 Niger............................................. 240 Nigeria.......................................1,420 Northern Mariana Islands......410 Oman............................................ 280 Pakistan....................................3,285 Palestinian Territories..........1,906 Panama.................................. 15,220 Papua New Guinea...............2,180 Paraguay...................................2,614 Peru......................................... 14,357 Philippines............................. 11,105 Poland.......................................2,700 Portugal.......................................990 Puerto Rico................................. 490 Romania....................................3,571 Russia........................................ 2,230 Rwanda.................................... 2,440 Saint Lucia................................1,070 Saint Petersburg....................... 120 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines................................. 665 Samoa........................................1,360 Saudi Arabia..................................20 Senegal........................................ 630 Serbia.........................................2,370 Seychelles......................................30 Sierra Leone............................2,610 Slovenia........................................110 Solomon Islands........................110 Somalia...........................................88 South Africa..........................23,060 Spain.............................................500 Sri Lanka................................... 3,170 Sudan............................................ 280 Suriname..................................... 520 Swaziland................................. 1,970 Syria............................................... 641 Taiwan.......................................... 756 Tajikistan.....................................480 Tanzania....................................4,248 Thailand................................... 8,640 Tibet.............................................. 331 Tonga............................................500 Trinidad & Tobago................5,980 Turkey........................................5,550 Turkmenistan............................. 520 Uganda.................................. 10,704 Ukraine......................................5,630 United States....................... 37,344 Uruguay....................................1,862 Uzbekistan...............................1,240 Vanuatu....................................... 250 Venezuela................................3,260 Vietnam..................................14,476 Virgin Islands (UK)....................284 Virgin Islands (US).................... 280 Western Sahara..........................153 Zambia..................................... 2,646 Zimbabwe..……………….2,840

TOTAL COUNTRIES AND REGIONS.........................150+ TOTAL WHEELCHAIRS........................................1,100,423 w heel ch air foundatio n.o rg

We are greatly saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss of Matt Medeiros

Wheelchair Foundation is greatly saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss of Matt Medeiros, a wonderful young man who accompanied students, teachers and parents on From the Heart wheelchair distribution trips to Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina and Peru. His first trip was just after graduating from De La Salle. He recently graduated from UCSB. Matt’s fluency in Spanish, his compassion to help others, his affability and his leadership role with the other students will always be remembered and cherished.

Sanibel- Captiva Rotary Club bicycle Ride benefits wheelchair foundation

The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary club held a fundraiser for the Wheelchair Foundation on Saturday, March 23, on Sanibel Island, Florida. They called it Wheels for Wheels and their members agreed to ride their bicycles all morning and have people pledge dollar amounts for each mile they rode. As a club, they raised $25,000.00 that morning!!! Pictured in the photo, left to right, John Danner, President of the Sanibel Captiva Rotary Club, Bill Rahe, President of the Sanibel Captive Rotary Club Trust, and Steve Agius, Chairman of the Rotary District 6960 Wheelchair Committee.

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AROUND THE WORLD

mobility for guatemala

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Contributed by Steve Elliott

magine, if you will, never having walked due to a birth deformity; losing a leg or even two to diabetes or being disabled in a tragic accident.., and suddenly the gift of mobility comes into your life. That was the blessing we offered during our wheelchair mission to Guatemala in January 2019. Through the generosity of the Asbury, Lynnewood and San Ramon Valley United Methodist churches, a team from those churches traveled to Guatemala to distribute 100 wheelchairs in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation and Rotary Clubs of Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. This was a remarkable opportunity to engage families that had no means to purchase a wheelchair on their own. They carried, carted or hobble-walked a family member everywhere. Our recipients included disabled and mobility-challenged children, adults and seniors.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: >>> A new red wheelchair brings happiness to a young man without mobility. >>> One wheelchair impacts a whole family. The day your sister gets her wheelchair is a special one indeed! >>> FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: >>> The Team from three Methodist Churches who traveled to Guatemala to provide mobility and support to those in need. >>> A stop along the way to share time and play with the residents of a charity hospital caring for all who need help. >>> Seniors in need of mobility make up a large part of the population without mobility. Providing this couple with a wheelchair will change their lives. The gift of a wheelchair can mean the gift of a new life, indepenence restored and new opportunities for families. >>>

We started our week volunteering at Virgen Del Socorro in Antigua. This long-term care facility, run by the Franciscan Order of the Catholic Church, is for children and adults with permanent disabilities. Many of these residents suffer from Cerebral Paralysis. Our second day of volunteering was at the Hospital of Santo Hermano Pedro, a charity hospital that turns no one away, and only charges what a person can afford. This Franciscan hospital provides medical services by local staff and volunteer physicians from around the world. We worked in the daycare center and the nutrition clinic for young children. We were particularly touched by how children with clef palates and other congenital deformities receive feeding assistance to help them achieve improved health. 4

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GUATEMALA

The third day of our mission included a stop at Salud Y Paz, a rural medical clinic for the Mayan people who do not have access to good health care otherwise. We delivered six suitcases of medical supplies collected at the three churches supporting this mission. What an appreciated gift!

Our wheelchair distribution was at an event in Quetzaltenango sponsored by the Rotary Club. It was exciting to walk into an outdoor pavilion filled with anxious families selected to receive a wheelchair. Each family was called forward to accept the wheelchair. We collectively celebrated the grateful, beaming recipient and their family. It was one of the most heartwarming moments you can imagine and one of the most humbling. We delivered what seemed like an endless stream of wheelchairs. To see a child experience mobility for the first time in her life brought tears to our eyes. Adults who had lost a leg, or seniors who could no longer walk on their own, were simply grateful beyond words. We changed many lives that day, with great love, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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FROM THE HEART

getting kids involved The From the Heart School program Contributed by Barbara Bosse, Director of Community Outreach

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: >>> Students at Ross School, in Ross, California, play a game of wheelchair basketball as part of a week-long disabilities awareness program. >>> Barbara Bosse, Director of Community Outreach for Wheelchair Foundation, and her wagon full of money. Sometimes the donated change is too heavy to carry by hand! >>> FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: >>> Josh Routh shows off his basketball skills on an outdoor court with elementary school children. >>> Barbara Bosse, Josh Routh and teacher Jill Massie, at the Ross School presentation for From the Heart. >>> Josh Routh at his day job. Josh has worked as a checker at Nob Hill Foods in San Ramon, California. >>> Children have questions about life for a person using a wheelchair and Josh is happy to answer and and all queries. >>> Children can be a tough crowd to address, but everyone listens when Josh shares his life story. Josh’s willingness to talk about his daily life, the problems and challenges he faces, makes him highly relatable and approachable to youngsters who are curious, but afraid or reluctant to ask questions otherwise. For Josh, it is a chance to break down barriers and show kids it is okay to ask questions. >>>

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s the 2018-2019 school year draws to a close it is good to take a look back and see how far we have come and then take a look at where we are headed. This year marks the completion of our 6th consecutive year working with schools primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program was founded by Don Routh, his son Josh Routh and their good friend, Bill Wheeler. The three men wanted to take their years of working together through volunteering for the Wheelchair Foundation and design something specifically for the schools. They came up with From the Heart and defined three main objectives for the program: The first objective is to raise awareness about the need for mobility around the world. The second objective is to sensitize both teachers and students to the challenges those with disabilities face in their daily lives. The third and final objective is to have the students participate in fundraising so they will then be empowered to go make a difference in the world.

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SCHOOL PROGRAM This school year has been special for several reasons. We are expanding into new districts and cities in Northern California. The Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, California, has invited us to be a part of their community and we were able to present at two of their schools with more slated for this next school year. We traveled to Oakland, California, and made our debut at a private school there and even had an elementary school join us as far away as Marin County, California. Expansion is exciting as we have such an amazing program to share and a cause that is worthy of student support and involvement. The most exciting development of this school year centers around our co-founder, Josh Routh. Josh has been an integral part of From the Heart since its inception. He helped develop the program and has visited many schools, giving presentations alongside his dad. In addition, he has gone on countless distribution trips with teachers and students. After several staff changes in our program and a brief hiatus of being involved, Josh has once again stepped up as a powerful voice for those who live their lives while in a wheelchair.

Josh has been using a wheelchair since the age of three as he was born with cerebral palsy. Through many years of hard work, Josh today is a very independent and accomplished man who has an innate ability to connect with people on a very personal level. This past school year, Josh has made it a point to get to as many From the Heart school presentations as his work schedule would allow. He speaks to the students about his passion, which involves giving wheelchairs to those that do not have access to them. He then shares the experiences and opportunities he has had throughout his lifetime based on the fact that he has always had access to a wheelchair. His testimony is always heartfelt and powerful. A wheelchair has allowed Josh to live independently, drive a car, have a job and participate in countless volunteer opportunities. It has also allowed him to travel and deliver mobility and hope to those who have none. Josh communicates all of this in each school presentation and then wraps up his talk by demonstrating his basketball skills from his days of competing on a wheelchair basketball team. The students and teachers alike love his talks and it is very common for a crowd to form at dismissal as the students want to ask him questions and learn more. Josh is an asset to our program and is a great ambassador as we continue to expand. wh eel ch air foundatio n.o rg

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CHANGING THE WORLD

season highlights 8

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: >>> Wheelchair Foundaton President, David Behring and his fiancee, May, at the Rotary 4-Way Conference in Reno, Nevada. David encourages all Rotary clubs to take advantage of our limited time $21,000 match funding opportunities. >>> Rotarians from District 4281 in Colombia, South America, unload a newly arrived container of wheelchairs prior to distribution. Our thanks to all Rotarians involved in this effort. >>> Josh Routh, Barbara Bosse and Don Routh from the From the Heart School Program, in Oaxaca, Mexico, following the devestating earthquakes in that region. Providing wheelchairs to those impacted by this catastrophe is what our efforts are all about. >>> A thumbs-up for a new red wheelchair in Guatemala this January, as Asbury, Lynnewood and San Ramon Valley United Methodist Churchs from Northern California, team up to assist the disabled and less fortunate. >>> Amazingly, we never know when disability might strike or why? Wheelchair Foundation provides wheelchairs to people in need, but without the means to purchase or acquire a wheelchair on their own. This includes folks rehabbing from accidents, recovery from surgery and surviving the complications of aging, disease or just plain bad luck. >>>

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: >>> Rotarians gave 110 wheelchairs to the people of Puerto Cortes, Honduras. This project was a success with the cooperation of the following Rotary Clubs and their members: Rotary Club of Puerto Cortes, Honduras, Rotary Club of Walnut Creek, CA, Sunrise Rotary Club of Walnut Creek, CA, Rotary Club of Bellair/SW Houston, TX, Also, Asociacion De Personas Con Descapacidad De Puerto Cortes and Wheelchair Foundation. One of the recipients was a lady whose son carried her on his shoulders to the hospital and anywhere else she needed to go. She and her son never expected this beautiful red wheelchair. >>> Nathan Ogden and family traveled to Costa Rica, with their Chair the Hope team. As a wheelchair rider, Nathan shares a special bond with those receiving the gift of mobility. >>> David Behring with Ariel Brunetto and Steve Agius, Chairman District 6960 Wheelchair Committee. Ariel is the president of the La Belle Florida High School Interact Club and was named District 6960 Interact Student of the year. She presented Wheelchair Foundation with a check for $100.00. Thank you Ariel! >>> Members of Rotary from District 4281 in Colombia, South America, assemble a Kanga tilt-in-space wheelchair prior to distribution. Wheelchair Foundation provides seating systems for children and adults. Often these specialized wheelchairs are not available or are too expensive, and the addition of several to a standard container of wheelchairs is a welcome and much needed gift. >>> Representatives from Light Dream Foundation and Friends of Hue join Wheelchair Foundation President David Behirng and Helen Duong on stage at our Wheel & Grace Gala fundraiser for Vietnam, in March of this year. In November, David and others, including Veterans from the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, California, will travel to Vietnam to distribute wheelchairs funded by this event. >>>

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BLACKHAWK MUSEUM

COMING SOON TO BLACKHAWK MUSEUM...

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF NATURE

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ig things are afoot at the Blackhawk Museum! Currently under construction is our newest exhibit, The Wonderful World of Nature. Developed with the intent to educate children and adults about the diversity of animal life on planet earth, this exhibit will feature one of the western United States most extensive collections of Natural History specimens and artifacts. Scientists estimate that there are 3 – 30 million species on planet earth. There are nearly 5,000 types of mammals, 10,000 kinds of birds and 23,500 types of fish! New species are being discovered every day. We invite you to explore, discover and marvel at the diversity that exists in our Wonderful World of Nature! www.blackhawkmuseum.org

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VIETNAM VETERANS

WHEEL & GRACE 2019

A fundraising event to benefit the good people of Vietnam

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n Saturday, March 9th of this year, Wheelchair Foundation, Light Dream Foundation, Friends of Hue and Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley hosted Wheel & Grace 2019 - A celebration of the wonder and diversity of Vietnam, to raise funds to send wheelchairs to the good people of Vietnam.

The event itself was the culmination of hundreds of hours of work by volunteer staff from the four organizations and Helen Duong. It also represents a nearly seven-year timespan between the last organized distribution journeys to Vietnam, fondly remembered by many of the area Veterans who had traveled there with us in the past.

The event was unlike any other hosted at Blackhawk Museum, featuring Dragon Dancers, a cultural presentation The Story of the Buffalo and a stunning Vietnamese traditional Ao Dai fashion show. Guests were treated to private tours of Blackhawk Museum’s new Into China and The Wonderful World of Nature exhibits, as well as tasting incredible wines and food.

In November of this year, 25 Veterans and volunteers will travel the length of Vietnam visiting orphanages and clinics supported by our event partners, and distributing wheelchairs along the way.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: >>> The 2019 Wheel & Grace fundraiser for Vietnam started with a parade of dragon dancers, which brought the crowd to life! >>> Veteran Skip George and his wife, Liz, visit an orphanage on a earlier wheelchair trip to Vietnam. >>> The last group from the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley to travel to Vietnam, many of who will be returning again with us this November. >>> Our gala included an amazing fashion show of traditional and modern Ao Dai. >>> Perfomers sing the Story of the Buffalo for our guests. >>>

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FROM THE HEART

WHEELCHAIRS FOR NICARAGUA

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heelchair Foundation began the process of shipping wheelchairs to Nicaragua in January of 2018. We originally intended to send a group of students and teachers from the From the Heart Schools Program to participate in the distribution of these wheelchairs, as the funds for this shipment had come from this program. However, in April of 2018, Nicaragua experienced a citizen uprising that would bring this Central American nation to the forefront of international news. This unrest, which is ongoing, prohibited our students and teachers from traveling. Fortunately, we have wonderful distribution partners on the ground in-country, and they were able to carry on with our mission to help those in need, without us there. Rotary club Managua-Tiscapa acted as consignee for this shipment of 220 standard and all-terrain wheelchairs for the disabled and less fortunate of Nicaragua. This shipment also included 10 Kanga specialized wheelchairs, specifically for individuals with more complex needs.

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TO NICARAGUA

The distribution was divided into two blocks, one in Managua and the other one at Gran Pacifica Roberto Clemente III clinic. These wheelchairs were donated to individuals all over the country, and cities such as Matagalpa, León, Estelí, Ocotal, Jinotepe, Chinandega, Granada, Jinotega, Masaya, Somoto, Rivas and Managua all benefited. “It was a challenge because not all of the beneficiaries can move and come to Managua to a centralized distribution location. It is a long trip and in some instances a family member came to receive a wheelchair on behalf of a family member. We also had the help of all the Rotary clubs in Nicaragua (17 clubs total) and with their help, were able to distribute all of the wheelchairs.

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: >>> Members of the Rotary club Managua-Tiscapa with newly arrived wheelchairs in Nicaragua. >>> The distribution efforts in Nicaragua involved numerous Rotary clubs, and many home visits to recipients who were unable to travel to a centralized distribution. >>> THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: >>> Turmoil in Nicaragua prevented our team from traveling to this particular wheelchair distribution in 2019. >>> Grateful for a new red wheelchair, a smile is all we ask for in return. >>> Mother and son share in the joy of receiving mobility. >>> Children participating in the From the Heart Schools Program wrote letters to each recipient, and recipients in-turn wrote back to students sending wheelchairs. >>> A wheelchair impacts a whole family and everyone sharing in caregiving benefits from a disabled individual receiving a wheelchair. >>>

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“We were able to provide wheelchairs to numerous elderly people in a nursing home with damaged wheelchairs. The gift of adjustable seating systems to those with cerebral palsy and other disorders was a blessing they would have otherwise not received. “Thank you very much! Now the lives of many people have changed, they can move! Thank for thinking of Nicaragua!” Ruth Vado, Gran Pacifica Resort.

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COSTA RICA

PURA VIDA! THE OGDEN FAMILY AND CHAIR THE HOPE HELP COSTA RICA Contributed by Heather Ogden

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n spring of 2018 the Ogden Family and Chair the Hope traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico for their first ever wheelchair distribution. The trip was more powerful than they could have ever imagined and when they returned to the States, they were ready to fundraise again. They began to look at other countries that were in need of wheelchairs and settled on Costa Rica and their “Pura Vida” or “pure life” motto. The Ogdens aimed for a spring distribution once again; so new families and their children would be able to participate in the distribution. Children from ages nine to 18 were part of this trip that included many activities, including giving people mobility and freedom. It also included cleaning up graffiti in a local park, giving out soccer jerseys, toothbrushes, and toys, playing in the ocean, and visiting Costa Rica’s beautiful waterfalls. One highlight of the trip was watching Nathan Ogden (who is paralyzed and also in a wheelchair) fly on a zip line over the lush rainforest canopy.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: >>> The Chair the Hope crew in Costa Rica. >>> Along with distributing wheelchairs, children helped paint over graffiti as part of a community clean-up effort. >>> Happy to have a new red wheelchair, everyone shares in the joy of this gift. >>> Helping a disabled senior arriving at a distribution site. >>>

Chair The Hope partnered up with San Jose Rotary Club and together they were able to distribute a total of 100 wheelchairs to the disabled and less fortunate of Costa Rica.

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GET INVOLVED

Special Offer match funding for ten containers of wheelchairs - $21,000!!! The Wheelchair Foundation is pleased to announce that a recent bequest will allow us to provide matching funding for 10 containers of wheelchairs. In recognition of nearly 20 years of partnership, we are offering $210,000 ($21,000 per container) to match Rotary clubs and districts that agree to match the other half of each container.

Pick one of ten destinations:

Wheelchair Foundation wants to keep you informed and up-to-date about all of our wheelchair distributions, travel opportunities and events! Wheelchair Foundation is on ViewSPARK, an app that allows donors and fundraisers to post photos and videos of their experiences in realtime. See our distribution work as it happens around the world. Hosting an event for fundraising for a specific project? ViewSPARK allows everyone to show their support, even if they can’t attend in person!

Bolivia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Honduras

Mexico

Peru

Trinidad and Tobago

Uganda

Now anyone can donate with ViewSPARK and watch what happens!

If you are an incoming President or District Governor, this offer provides an excellent opportunity to do an international “hands-on” service project for your club or district during your 2019-2020 term in office. Many clubs pool their resources on one wheelchair project and assist on other service projects in that region. These matches will be granted on a “first come, first served” basis. Contact David Behring at dbehring@wheelchairfoundation.org or Eva Carleton at ecarleton@wheelchairfoundation.org for further infomation. w heel ch air fo undatio n.o rg

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 260 DANVILLE, CA

3820 Blackhawk Road Danville, CA 94506-4617 USA A Division of Behring Global Educational Foundation Tax ID # 94-3353881


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