Rotary International District 5170

Several years ago, philanthropist Kenneth Behring, chairman of the nonprofit Wheelchair Foundation, invited Rotarians to join his campaign to assist the underprivileged. Behring, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Foster City, promised to personally match every dollar Rotarians contributed to his effort to supply wheelchairs to people in need.

Rotary clubs around the world are partnering with the Wheelchair Foundation to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult who needs one-bringing new independence to those deprived of mobility by war, disease, natural disaster or advanced age. Rotarians can participate in Projects to deliver wheelchairs anywhere in the world. In past years each wheelchair cost $150 to deliver by 240-wheelchair container, so individual Rotarians could donate $75, the Wheelchair Foundation would match that, and send a wheelchair to a person in need. (Current wheelchair costs are still being confirmed.) As a club or district project, you can accompany the 240 wheelchairs to their destination, and distribute them as a hands-on Rotary project. Our district 5170 has carried out past wheelchair deliveries to Belize, Chile, Ghana, Mexico, and elsewhere. In the coming year we plan to distribute wheelchairs at the Uniendo America conference in Costa Rica in January. To find out more about this worthwhile humanitarian project, or to arrange for a speaker to do a club program, contact me and I would be happy to help provide the information you need.

To learn more, visit the Wheelchair Foundation, or call toll free (877 )378-3839.

Jerra Rowland, 2007-08 Chair