Wheelchair Foundation - Angel Program Newsletter

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Introducing The All New

Wheelchair Angel Program Wheelchair Foundation

Angel A donor referral program that provides hope, mobility, and freedom to the physically disabled worldwide and gives you an opportunity to volunteer on a wheelchair distribution trip!

Personally enjoy a life-changing experience by lifting a physically disabled person into a wheelchair!

Earn your wings! See Pages 6 and 7 for details!


ABOUT US

A MESSAGE FROM KEN BEHRING The “Road to Purpose” is very important to me and I hope you will join me on that wonderful road. I will never forget my experiences along the way. >> A lady in Vietnam pushed herself to me in her new wheelchair and said, “I wanted to die, but now I no longer want to.” >> A 16-year old boy with a terminal illness, blind and immobile, looked into my eyes with his blind eyes and said, “I will see you in heaven.” >> Five hundred people in China who had not been out of their homes for 25 years because of back injuries from an earthquake each received a wheelchair. >> A young man in China who was paralyzed from the waist down conditioned his arms and upper body so he could be the first disabled person to swim the English Channel. >> A person paralyzed from the neck down painted a peacock for me using only his mouth. >> Hundreds of people tell me that they now can go back to school and work or go outside to sit in the sunshine. At night when I am sleeping I see thousands of raised arms begging for our help as we are their only hope. Become a member of the Wheelchair Foundation Angel Program with a $75 donation from you and three referrals who make the same donation. You will be changing lives, giving hope and providing independence - and with enough referrals you may be one of the top 30 Angels invited to travel with me on my plane to volunteer on a wheelchair distribution trip to China or Latin America in mid-2008. I hope you will become a member of the Wheelchair Angel Program so together we can enjoy “Our Road to Purpose.” Sincerely,

Kenneth E. Behring Founder & Chairman

WHEELCHAIRS COMMITTED OR DELIVERED Afghanistan ................6,370 Albania ..........................550 Algeria ...........................640 Angola ........................4,590 Antigua and Barbuda ....280 Argentina ....................6,811 Armenia ......................2,964 Australia ........................292 Azerbaijan .....................280 Bahamas ....................1,200 Bangladesh ...................240 Barbados .......................280 Belarus ..........................990 Belgium .........................280 Belize..........................2,420 Bolivia.........................4,084 Bosnia-Herzegovina ...1,480 Botswana....................1,688 Brazil ..........................2,305 Bulgaria .........................530 Burundi ..........................520 Cambodia ...................2,810 Canada..........................560 Cape Verde ...................780 Central African Rep. ......240 Chile ...........................7,508 China ......................140,066 Colombia ....................7,460 Congo, The Democratic Republic of the ..............205 Costa Rica..................5,655 Croatia........................1,300 Cuba...........................1,520 Cyprus ...........................280 Czech Republic .............597 Dominica .......................280 Dominican Republic ...8,458 Ecuador ......................6,139 Egypt ..........................1,058 El Salvador .................4,965 Eritrea............................250 Estonia ..........................500 Ethopia .......................2,928 Fiji...............................1,620 France ...........................560 French Polynesia ..........280 Georgia.......................1,030 Ghana.........................2,240 Greece...........................240 Grenada ........................280 Guam.............................250 Guatamala..................7,063 Guyana..........................250 Haiti ............................1,820 Honduras....................5,184 Hong Kong ....................970 Hungary.........................120 India............................2,716 Indonesia....................3,100 Iran .............................3,880 Iraq .............................4,020 Israel...........................6,890 Italy................................580 Jamaica ......................3,000 Japan..........................1,750 Jordan ........................5,022 Kazakhstan.................1,510 Kenya .........................2,540 Kiribati ...........................250 Korea, North ..................552 Korea, South ..............5,140 Kosovo .......................1,300 Kyrgystan ...................1,240 Laos...............................780 Latvia.............................740 Lebanon .....................2,430

Lesotho..........................500 Liberia............................780 Lithuania.....................1,090 Macedonia.....................480 Madagascar................1,030 Malawi ........................2,480 Malaysia .....................3,940 Mali................................240 Malta..............................240 Marshall Islands ............140 Mexico ......................84,669 Micronesia ..................1,390 Moldova......................1,720 Mongolia.....................1,320 Montenegro ...................120 Morocco......................3,410 Mozambique...............1,380 Myanmar (Burma) .........500 Namibia .........................466 Nepal ..........................2,545 Nicaragua ...................5,565 Niger..............................240 Nigeria ........................1,310 N. Mariana Islands ........410 Oman.............................280 Pakistan......................3,175 Palestinians/Israel ......1,906 Panama ......................5,841 Papua New Guinea ....2,080 Paraguay ....................1,824 Peru............................6,461 Philippines ..................6,180 Poland ........................2,160 Portugal .........................810 Puerto Rico ...................490 Romania .....................2,692 Russia.........................2,110 Rwanda ......................2,200 Saint Lucia ....................560 Saint Petersburg ...........120 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines....................280 Samoa ........................1,080 Senegal .........................520 Serbia .........................1,530 Sierra Leone...............1,840 Somalia ...........................88 South Africa ..............11,620 Spain .............................500 Sri Lanka ....................2,890 Sudan ............................280 Suriname .......................240 Swaziland ...................1,860 Syria ..............................641 Taiwan ...........................756 Tajikistan........................480 Tanzania .....................2,468 Thailand......................5,240 Tibet...............................331 Tonga.............................500 Trinidad & Tobago ......2,164 Turkey.........................4,710 Turkmenistan.................520 Uganda.......................3,184 Ukraine .......................3,620 United States ............27,115 Uruguay......................1,632 Uzbekistan..................1,240 Vanuatu .........................250 Venezuela...................1,320 Vietnam ....................11,846 Virgin Islands (UK) ........284 Virgin Islands (US) ........280 Western Sahara ............153 Zambia .......................1,240 Zimbabwe...................2,050

TOTAL COUNTRIES AND REGIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .150 TOTAL WHEELCHAIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .551,316 For current totals visit wheelchairfoundation.org.

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Wheelchair Angel Program

wheelchairfoundation.org


MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF ADVISORS OF THE WHEELCHAIR FOUNDATION ARE INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING WHEELCHAIRS TO CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS AROUND THE WORLD WHO CANNOT AFFORD ONE FOR THEMSELVES. THE ADVISORS BRING THEIR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE TO BEAR IN PROVIDING VALUABLE COUNSEL ON THE DIRECTION OF THE FOUNDATION AND SUPPORT IN ACCOMPLISHING ITS GOALS AND FULFILLING ITS MISSION.

international board of advisors

BOARD OF ADVISORS

KING JUAN CARLOS & QUEEN SOFIA OF SPAIN, Co-Chairmen PRINCE ALEXANDER & PRINCESS KATHERINE OF YUGOSLAVIA CARL A. ANDERSON Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus WENDY WIDMANN DE BERGER First Lady of Guatemala RUTH CORREA LEITE CARDOSO, PH.D. Former First Lady of Brazil LORENA CLARE FACIO DE RODRIGUEZ ECHEVERRIA Former First Lady of Costa Rica JOEL EHRENKRANZ Ehrenkranz & Ehrenkranz, New York PROFESSOR SIR HARRY FANG, M.D. Chairman, Council for Physically & Mentally Disabled, Hong Kong MARY FLAKE DE FLORES Former First Lady of Honduras LOURDES RODRIGUEZ DE FLORES Former First Lady of El Salvador WHITEY FORD Baseball Hall of Fame MARTHA SAHAGUN FOX Former First Lady of Mexico IMANTS FREIBERGS First Gentleman of Latvia VALERY GISCARD D’ESTAING Former President of France MIKHAIL GORBACHEV Former President of the USSR XIMENA BOHÓRQUEZ DE GUTIERREZ, M.D. Former First Lady of Ecuador DOUG HEIR President of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association KENNETH HOFMANN Philanthropist PATRICK MADDEN Executive Director, Sister Cities International JACK KEMP Former U.S. Representative & Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

wheelchairfoundation.org

MRS. ANDREE LAHOUD First Lady of Lebanon

DON SHULA Entreprenuer/Former NFL Coach

JERRY LEWIS Entertainer/Humanitarian

RT. HON. SIR MICHAEL SOMARE Prime Minister, Papua New Guinea

SUSANA GALLI DE GONZALEZ MACCHI Former First Lady of Paraguay GRACA MACHEL Former First Lady of Mozambique/Mrs. Nelson Mandela NELSON MANDELA Former President of South Africa ED MCMAHON Radio & Television Personality

VIVIAN DE TORRIJOS First Lady of Panama VIVIANE WADE First Lady of Senegal ABBAS I. YOUSEF ASI Agricultural Services & Investments HONORARY MEMBERS

ANNA MKAPA Former First Lady of Tanzania

JOE BACA Former U.S. Representative, DCalifornia

WAYNE NEWTON Entertainer, Las Vegas, NV

MAX CLELAND Former U.S. Senator, D-Georgia

SAMUEL NUJOMA President of Namibia

ANNA G. ESHOO U.S. Representative, D-California

DEAN ORNISH, M.D. President & Director, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, UCSF

DIANNE FEINSTEIN U.S. Senator, D-California

JACK PALLADINO Palladino & Sutherland, San Francisco ARNOLD PALMER Professional Golfer/Business Executive DENG PUFENG Chairman, China Disabled Persons’ Federation VIRGINIA GILLUM DE QUIROGA Former First Lady of Bolivia PRINCE RAAD & PRINCESS MAJDA RAAD OF JORDAN GENERAL JOSEPH W. RALSTON United States Air Force-Ret. FIDEL RAMOS Former President of the Philippines CATHERINE B. REYNOLDS American Academy of Achievement/CEO of Educap Inc. STEFANO RICCI Clothing Designer

WILLIAM H. FRIST Former U.S. Senator, RTennessee BENJAMIN A. GILMAN U.S. Representative, R-New York DANIEL INOUYE U.S. Senator, D-Hawaii KEN LANCASTER State Representative, R-Alaska JAMES R. LANGEVIN U.S. Representative, D-Rhode Island STEVE LARGENT Former U.S. Representative, ROklahoma NANCY PELOSI U.S. Representative, D-California TED STEVENS U.S. Senator, R-Alaska ELLEN TAUSCHER U.S. Representative, D-California TOM TORLAKSON State Senator, D-California

ANNA ELEANOR ROOSEVELT Co-Chair - Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, New York ANA PAULA DOS SANTOS Former First Lady of Angola

Wheelchair Angel Program

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circling the globe with hope 4

Wheelchair Angel Program

ANGOLA

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

JAMAICA

MEXICO

PAKISTAN

BELIZE

UGANDA

MALAWI

HONDURAS wheelchairfoundation.org


THE WORLD

TIBET

COLOMBIA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

PANAMA

UKRAINE

MEXICO wheelchairfoundation.org

SOUTH AFRICA

JORDAN

one wheelchair at a time

VIETNAM

PERU Wheelchair Angel Program

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ANGEL PROGRAM

The Wheelchair Angel Program Circling the Globe, One Wheelchair at a Time The Wheelchair Foundation is proud to announce the brand new Wheelchair Angel Program. The Wheelchair Angel Program is a referral program that allows you to share the joy of giving with your friends and family by encouraging them to give the gift of hope and mobility to people in need around the world. The program also provides 30 special donors with the unique opportunity to volunteer on a scheduled wheelchair distribution trip to China or Latin America in 2008! These donors will be invited to accompany Mr. Kenneth E. Behring, Chairman of the Board and founder of the Wheelchair Foundation, aboard his private MD87 jet. On the trip, donors will carry out the mission of the Wheelchair Foundation by distributing wheelchairs and visiting the communities that the Wheelchair Foundation helps. The trip includes hotel accommodations, sightseeing and the opportunity to changes lives by delivering wheelchairs!

How do I become a Wheelchair Angel? Do the following: 1. Make a donation of $75 (or more) using the enclosed envelope or online at www.wheelchairfoundation.org. Be sure to check the box to indicate you want to sign up for the program. 2. We’ll mail (and email) you a Wheelchair Angel Member Card with your official Wheelchair Angel Member Number. 3. Get three other people to donate $75 (or more) each and reference your Angel Member Number. It's that easy! When we receive your third referral donation, you will become an official Wheelchair Angel and receive your Wheelchair Angel Wings lapel pin!

How do I get credit for my referrals? When you make your first donation of $75 to join the program, you will be given a membership number. Share your member number with your friends and family. YOUR REFERRALS MUST REFERENCE YOUR MEMBER NUMBER WHEN MAKING THEIR DONATIONS IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT.

Wheelchair Foundation

Angel When we have received ten referral donations with your member number, you will receive our official Wheelchair Angel crystal cube. Each month, the Wheelchair Angel with the most referral donations will be recognized as “Wheelchair Angel of the Month” on the Wheelchair Foundation website!

How do I get invited to volunteer on the trip? The Wheelchair Angel with the most referrals at the end of the Wheelchair Angel Program year (ending April 2008) will receive special recognition as “Wheelchair Angel of the Year”. This

A message relayed from our more than half-million wheelchair recipients: “Thank you. Thank you for giving. Thank you for making the effort to help us. Thank you for not forgetting about us when everyone else has.” person will be invited to volunteer on a scheduled wheelchair distribution trip of their choice in either China or Latin America! The Top 30 Wheelchair Angels, with the greatest number of referrals by April 30th, 2008, will be recognized as “Guardian Angels” and will be invited to volunteer on a wheelchair distribution trip in mid-2008! You must have 50 or more referral donations to qualify for “Guardian Angel” status and become eligible for an invitation to attend the official distributions. For complete details, please visit our website at www.wheelchairfoundation.org or call toll free 1-877-378-3839. Thank you for your continued support in helping people in need of mobility!

How will Wheelchair Angels receive recognition? Once we receive three donations referencing your member number, you will receive a special Wheelchair Angel lapel pin so that others know you are a TRUE WHEELCHAIR ANGEL.

“This has been one of the most inspirational experiences of my life and I wish everyone who helped sponsor these wheelchairs could experience this feeling.” -Gary Nelson 6

Wheelchair Angel Program

wheelchairfoundation.org


ANGEL PROGRAM

Why is it called the Wheelchair Angel Program? Lifting a person into a wheelchair is a special experience that few people have the opportunity to enjoy. Many times, wheelchair recipients express their gratitude by relating the donor to an angel sent from heaven. Wheelchair recipients also feel new-found freedom and independence upon receiving mobility, and often express the feeling of having wings or the ability to fly. The following quotations capture the magnitude of these emotional experiences:

“Sitting on the wheelchair and driving its wheels, I seem to grow a pair of wings.” – Letter from a wheelchair recipient in China

When the recipients were lifted into their new wheelchairs, one man started raising his arms and shouting in thanks. All of the other recipients quickly joined him. When we asked what they were saying, we were told that they were shouting, “Now we can fly.” – Wheelchair recipient in Tanzania

“You are sent from heaven. God is looking out for me.” – Elderly disabled woman who finally received an answer after 30 years of daily prayer for mobility Cut along dotted line

Wheelchair Angel Program Donation Form You can become a Wheelchair Angel by making a donation of $75 (or more) and then by getting three other people to donate $75 each and reference your Member Number. To join by mail, please complete the following form and be sure to provide your name and a valid email address. To join by phone, call toll free (877) 378-3839. You can also join the Wheelchair Angel Program online and learn more about the program on our website at www.wheelchairfoundation.org.

YES, I am interested in joining the Wheelchair Angel Program!

Donation Amount:

Referring Member # ______________________

$75 $150 Other $_____________________________________________________ $21,000 (delivers a 280-wheelchair container to an approved developing country of your choice)

Donor’s Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State/Province _______________________ Zip/Postal Code ____________________ Email Address ________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________ In Honor of In Memory of _________________________________________________________________________________ Send Certificate of Thanks to _______________________________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State/Province _______________________ Zip/Postal Code ____________________ Credit Card: Visa MasterCard American Express Discover Card Number _________________________________________________________ Exp. Date __________________________________ Name as it appears on Card ______________________________________________ Signature __________________________________ Please visit our website for more details about the Wheelchair Angel Program. Please provide a valid email address. Credit card form can be mailed to address above or faxed to: (925) 736-0309 PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

Wheelchair Foundation

Mail to:

Wheelchair Foundation P.O. Box 2545 Danville, CA 94526 USA

Questions? Call toll free (877) 378-3839 or email us at info@wheelchairfoundation.org. wheelchairfoundation.org

Wheelchair Foundation

Angel Wheelchair Angel Program

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“It is one thing to ask for help, but when someone comes to you on their own and gives you something without asking for anything in return, this is a sign of true friendship for the people of South Africa.” - Nelson Mandela “Our wheelchairs are a gift of peace, a gift of love and good intention from tens of thousands of people who are willing to reach out and help others.” - Ken Behring

EACH $75 DONATION WILL BE COMBINED WITH FUNDS PROVIDED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE TO DELIVER A WHEELCHAIR AND GREATLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A CHILD, TEEN OR ADULT WITHOUT MOBILITY. YOU WILL RECEIVE A BEAUTIFUL CERTIFICATE OF THANKS WITH A PICTURE OF A WHEELCHAIR RECIPIENT IN YOUR NAME OR DEDICATED TO YOUR LOVED ONE. YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF ROAD TO PURPOSE.

DONATE TWO

WHEELCHAIRS AND RECEIVE A SIGNED COPY. Sample Presentation Folder

CALL US NOW AT (877) 378-3839 OR DONATE ONLINE AT WWW.WHEELCHAIRFOUNDATION.ORG

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 244 SAN ANTONIO, TX

3820 Blackhawk Road Danville, CA 94506-4652 USA


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