Transforming Lives Through Mobility

On Tuesday, September 24th. Our featured presenter for the evening was Linda Whitehead of the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation. Linda explained that lack of mobility is a barrier to freedom and besides limiting the individual it also affects the whole family of the  disabled individual. The Canadian Wheelchair foundation has delivered 33,000 wheelchairs in the past 10 years into over 40 countries. This has directly improved the lives of over 33,000 individuals who have been deprived from mobility by war, disease, accident, natural disasters and advanced age giving them back dignity, independence and opportunity. Rotary has been promoting the eradication of Polio but the next level are those who have already been stricken and immobilized by the disease.

Linda showed us a video that covered deliveries of wheelchairs and we saw the immediate benefit that the gift of mobility provided. Through volume and benefactors the cost of each chair has been reduced to $150 delivered. We had a chair to evaluate and they are tough and a quality build that will stand up to the conditions found in the undeveloped areas that many get deployed.

Shipments are in containers of 280 wheelchairs President Elect Gary Thind was so moved that he has started to organize a club project to raise $42,000 so that we can send a container to Amritsar in Northern India. There are two clubs in that City that we can partner with. STAY TUNED. We will Engage in Rotary and Change Lives.

President John Edwards presented Linda with a token of appreciation for her presentation.