Rotary District 6110 Newsletter Volume 6

ROTARY

DISTRICT 6110

Lifting Spirits, Giving Hope

Life Changing Mobility The 16th annual wheelchair distribution for the Rotary Club of Springdale, Arkansas and Rotary District 6110 took place in Aguascalientes, Mexico. In attendance were dozens of Rotarians, Rotaract members and family who traveled to Mexico to take part in the life changing delivery of wheelchairs into the lives of children, teens and adults without mobility.

Our Mission The American Wheelchair

There are numerous answers as to why so many children have been robbed of their mobility throughout Mexico, but thankfully the Teleton Rehabilitation Centers for Children or CRITs have been established in 22 locations throughout the country. These world-class centers use medical and holistic approaches in dealing with many types of physical disability. Parents are involved in the treatments given to the children so they can continue the exercises, or therapies at home, and the whole family is encouraged to take part. The services are provided free of charge, or at a very low rate based on the family’s ability to pay.

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

Mission will continue to change the lives of entire

When it comes to mobility devices like wheelchairs, there is no way the CRIT centers can afford to provide the great numbers needed, so this is where the participation of Rotary members and their families becomes so important.

families with the gifts of hope, dignity, freedom and independence.

The Need

The container of 280 brand new wheelchairs that was delivered to the CRIT Aguascalientes represents many things. Among them, is the commitment to helping people without mobility, the participation in a “hands-on service� project that connects people on a human level regardless of their language or geographical location. This sincere connection could be the key to a more peaceful world.

We estimate more than 100 million people worldwide are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one.

Our gift

immediately changes the lives of entire families by answering prayers and making

dreams

come

This mission also included wheelchairs made in Guatemala for children with cerebral palsy and other motor neuron conditions. Our goal is to get more of these wheelchairs to the families who need them.

true.

Cover: Rotaract member Jackie Henriquez is so happy to help change lives.

1

The CRIT center showcased the dedicated efforts of doctors, nurses, therapists and

American Wheelchair Mission

volunteers who spend their days improving the lives of children with various disabilities.

They take great pride in what they have accomplished over the years, and hope to grow the organization into all of the 32 states of Mexico.

On the day of the distribution, approximately 100 wheelchairs were delivered at the CRIT center. An additional 50 wheelchairs were distributed with local Rotarians at a hotel in the center of the city the next day. The balance of the 280 wheelchairs were distributed by the CRIT as needed.

In 2017, District Governor (2017-18) Judy Brigham and her husband Tom brought their granddaughter Jaci on the trip to the CRIT center in Oaxaca, Mexico. This was her first time to experience a life changing Rotary project and vowed to come home and help raise money for more wheelchairs. As an eighth grader in Ottawa, Kansas Jaci saved her money, did odd jobs and spoke about her experiences to raise $150 to sponsor one wheelchair. She wrote her first check ever to the American Wheelchair Mission to sponsor a wheelchair to the CRIT Aguascalientes, and personally delivered that wheelchair to a child in need of mobility. Jaci has gone on to speak at public events and Rotary clubs with a goal of raising enough money to sponsor another container of wheelchairs to the CRIT in Oaxaca.

Five members of the Rotaract Club from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith attended the distribution for the first time. With their advisor, Karin Hickenbotham, the group participated in all aspects of the wheelchair distributions, and came home to raise thousands of dollars toward the sponsorship of more wheelchairs. The dedicated efforts of these young ladies clearly demonstrates the changes one can make in the world when the only agenda is helping others in need, and in the process each one said they were changed by the experience as well.

An additional 200 wheelchairs were deliv-

$150 Sponsors the delivery of a brand new wheelchair

ered to the St. Andrews Children’s Clinic in Nogales, Arizona sponsored by the Rotary Club of Grove, Oklahoma and the American Wheelchair Mission. These will be used as a part of the St. Andrews Clinic’s outreach in Nogales and Northern Mexico.

The gift of a wheelchair to a child allows them to go to school, move themselves around their house without crawling or being carried, go outside to play with their family and friends, go to church, and go places that their parents just can’t carry them.

Over the course of the past 16 years, the Rotary Club of Springdale, Arkansas and Rotary District 6110 have sponsored the delivery of more than 10,000 wheelchairs around the world to people in dire need of mobility. The Hogeye Marathon has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the cause, and school children as young as first grade have raised many thousands more for wheelchairs.

The

wheelchair

ered

by

deliv-

the American

Wheelchair Mission would sell for more than $500 at a medical supply store.

Yet because we purchase wheelchairs directly from the manufacturer, and ship

Rotaract members receive a note of thanks

them 100 to 280 wheelchairs at a time by ocean freight containers directly to the country of destination, we can deliver this $500 wheelchair with each $150 donation we receive.

Wouldn’t it be nice if life changing, peace building success stories like these were what we hear about in the news?

VISIT OUR SITE Amwheelchair.org On our website you will see videos of wheelchair distributions around the world,

Rotaract member, Taylor Wewers, is happy to meet this young man

photos of people and their families who had their lives changed by the gift of a wheelchair, and stories of our mission that touches lives in a very tangible and immediate way.

Join Us! Join us on a wheelchair distribution trip – Please email

Ezekiel Reina, 5 is so happy to move himself

Chris

Lewis

at:

clewis@amwheelchair.org

Jose is so grateful for his new wheelchair

for details.

2 www.amwheelchair.org

Rotary team at CRIT Aguascalientes

Jean Anderson watching Marcos Gonzalez, 6, move himself for the first time

Alan and Courtney Fulton receive a letter of thanks

3 American Wheelchair Mission

6110 Wheelchair Chairman, Noel Morris, with Lupita Cano, 4

Jim Crouch and grandson, George, make this man very happy

Jeff Wood answering prayers for Manuel Garcia, 18

Stan Vlademar receives a warm embrace

Jaci carried this young girl to her wheelchair

Rotaract member, Cindy Chen, and a new friend

Wendy and Chad Kumpe on trip number sixteen

4

www.amwheelchair.org

Aletha Piker brings smiles to the whole family

Rotaract member, Alex Taylor, can’t help but smile

5 American Wheelchair Mission

Gary Piker embraces this grateful lady

Jaci Gull giving the wheelchair she sponsored

Fort Smith Rotaract members with Past District Governor, Ken Colley

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.

We deliver brand new, high quality wheelchairs by entire sea containers.

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 &

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!

2012 – Guanajuato, Mexico

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.

2013 – Cancun, Mexico

For more information about our mission, please visit our website at www.amwheelchair.org, or contact:

Montego Bay, Jamaica

2014 – Puebla, Mexico 2015 – Acapulco, Mexico 2016 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Nogales, AZ & Magdalena de Kino, MX

Noel Morris 6110 Wheelchair Coordinator 17891 Sundown Point Springdale AR 72764-9200 nmorris@amwheelchair.org

2017 – La Paz, Mexico – Oaxaca, Mexico – Nogales, AZ & Magdalena de Kino, MX 2018 – Aguascalientes, Mexico – Nogales, AZ & Magdalena de Kino, MX

Chris Lewis President American Wheelchair Mission 2505 Anthem Village Drive, Suite E 602 Henderson, NV 89052 clewis@amwheelchair.org (702) 580-0705

© Copyright 2018 American Wheelchair Mission | Photos by: Randy Hale & Contributing Photographers

Springdale / 6110 Delivery Missions