The Wheelchair Foundation, a division of Behring Global Educational Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation, has a goal to provide a free wheelchair to every child, teen and adult worldwide who needs one but has no means to acquire one.
22nd Annual “Drive Fore Mobility” Golf Tournament
Join the Wheelchair Foundation for the 22nd Annual Drive Fore Mobility. A meaningful day of golf, camaraderie, and impact. Hosted at the beautiful Blackhawk Country Club, this annual tradition unites our generous community in support of the Foundation’s mission to deliver mobility, hope, and independence to those in need.
Guests can look forward to a full day on the course, along with special activities, memorable moments, and opportunities to give back. All in the spirit of transforming lives through the gift of a wheelchair.
Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva Recognized for Transformative Support
The Wheelchair Foundation is proud to recognize the incredible fundraising efforts of the Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva, whose commitment to mobility and dignity continues to make a life-changing difference around the world.
At their 6th annual “Wheels for Wheels” fundraiser held on April 5th on Sanibel Island, the Rotary Club raised an impressive $28,000—enough to sendanother container of wheelchairs to those in need, likely destined for communities in Ecuador or Belize. To mark this milestone, a special recognition plaque was presented by District 6960 Wheelchair Foundation Co-Chairs, Gary Dworkin and Jim Fabry, to the Club President and the dedicated “Wheels for Wheels” committee.
Changing Lives and Making new Friends in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
On July 8th, 2023 the Wheelchair Foundation and Wine for Wheels held a Country Hoedown fundraiser at the beautiful Blackhawk Museum. We had super fun bands: Singer/Songwriter Sadie Bass played outside to welcome everyone and The Brodie Stewart Band played while we danced the night away and enjoyed the amazing evening while raising money. During the auction we offered a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to distribute wheelchairs and that started our amazing adventure.
More than 24 people signed up for the distribution trip, and the wheelchairs were ordered. Fondo Unido and the Rotary Club of Puerto Vallarta Sur were instrumental in clearing our wheelchairs with our own Eva Carleton. David Behring, our President, Jeff Behring, Co-founder of Wine for Wheels and I immediately started working with Luz Maria Ortiz with the Rotary Club of Puerto Vallarta Sur to set up this life-changing mission.
TYTANOVI
This is a very unique rehabilitation center in Kyiv where veterans are fitted by bionic prostheses from titanium, a metal which is strong, light, corrosion-resistant, and durable, just like the young men who are training here. Yes, some of them are very young; some have never been on a date. The wheelchairs we brought here are badly needed, but the heroes in this place have no intention of spending their lives in them. Each one dreams of standing on new titanium legs and achieving more in this life with titanium arms, hands, and fingers.
For now, that dream is on hold. First, they must heal, as they wait to be fitted with new limbs. The stitches must heal, the sores from the surgical installation of new prosthetics and metal parts protruding from bones and stumps must heal, the atrophied muscles must be strengthened. It’s work, but they work at it joyfully, racing in wheelchairs, playing basketball, tag, and agility games, and lifting weights. They are training hard for their brothers who are still on the front.
And they are taught another important lesson: they must become independent. They learn how to live, take care of themselves, play sports, cook their own food, and even feed themselves without help.
In the lab here, they are performing scientific and industrial miracles. They’ve already been to an exhibition in Germany, impressing world-class prosthetics manufacturers with their ingenuity, practical skill, and sheer will power. They assemble prosthetics from parts of various global brands, German, Belgian, Korean, American, giving these artificial hands or legs movement, life, function, and utility.
These guys laugh at what others would call hopelessness or difficulty, and when you’re tempted to pity them, they correct you and comfort you, saying, “Don’t worry. After all, here, Tytanovi!” (A play on words in Eastern Europe. The phrase means both ‘titanium’ and ‘You are new!’) And indeed, they are new people—people to whom we will forever be indebted for our right to live, speak our native language, work, be friends, and serve.
