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The Wheelchair Foundation: Giving Hope – Gaining Purpose

This article taken in it’s entirety and written by Jody Morgan appeared in both the Danville Today News as well as the Alamo Today. 
 

The Wheelchair Foundation has delivered nearly 920,000 wheelchairs in over 150 countries since its inception in 2000. As founder Kenneth Behring’s original goal of giving one million wheelchairs to disabled individuals around the world nears fulfillment, global need continues to grow. An estimated 100 million people unable to afford a wheelchair are waiting in hidden corners of the earth for the chance to experience the empowerment of mobility.

Josh Routh connects with a nonagenarian in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, one of many wheelchair recipients from 4-96 years of age hea has met in Latin America. Photo courtesy of Don Routh

Wheelchairs were not among the donation Behring was packing in his private plane in 1999 when LSD Charities (the humanitarian outreach branch of the Latter Day Saints) asked him to drop off their aid packages en route to his African destination  He readily agreed. Included in that cargo were six wheelchairs bound for a hospital in Romania. “Little did I know” he writes, “that those six wheelchairs would change the direction of my life.”

Behring, a successful Danville developer, defines the joy generated by setting a wheelchair recipient’s dreams in motion as the acheivement of purpose. In his 2004 autobiography Road to Purpose, he recount, “I lifted a small Vietnamese girl from the ground and placed her in a wheelchair. In that instant, she found hope…Her face opened into a smile, her eyes as bright as the noontime sky. And I knew for all she had changed in that moment, I had changed even more.”

Initially, Behring explored recycling used wheelchairs. The process proved the reverse of cost-effective. Packaging for shipment added to the expense of parts and labor for repairs. Then Behring asked manufacturers to design a durable wheelchair priced according to the high volume of orders he anticipated. One product seemed perfect, but it required two hours to piece together when uncrated. Today’s model comes in five sizes, ordered with regular or all-terrain tires, and can be assembled in 15 minutes. Averaging shipping costs to all destinations, the Foundation can deliver each wheelchair for just $150.  In Bolivia a comparable product costs $1,700.  In many countries, the price of a wheelchair exceeds an average laborer’s annual income.

The Wheelchair Foundation runs an administratively lean operation, funneling virtually every dollar into providing wheelchairs. Volunteers and service organizations across America do much of the fundraising. Unanimously declaring the positive return on their investment inestimable donors traveling on distribution trips pay their own expenses.  On the receiving end, similar groups arrange local logistics including identification of recipients and appropriate configuration of the wheelchairs they require. They also fund and coordinate transportation to remote locations where wheelchairs are most needed.  Rotary International, with clubs in over 200 countries, is frequently involved in all aspect of the process.

Since Bill Wheeler, founder of Blacktie Transportation, invited them on their first journey, Josh Routh and his father Don have made 20 distribution trips to 11 countries. In the remote town Juigalpa, Nicaragua, they met a 26 year-old woman who had been waiting eight years to acquire the wheelchair she needed to utilize the scholarship to Managua University she earned as a high school honors graduate.  Finally enabled to pursue her studies, she chose psychology so she could hep families coping with disabilities   In poorer places, when one family member is disabled, another often has to stay home from school or work to act as a caregiver.

Josh tears up as he describes a recipient brought to a wheelchair distribution in a wheelbarrow and another crawling through the dust to get there. Born with cerebral palsy, Josh has never walked.  Although doctors predicted he would remain a quadriplegic, never uttering an intelligible word, the 33-year old San Ramon resident drives his own car and lives independently. A cashier at Nob Hill, Josh dedicates much of his time to aiding others.

Hayward students connected with peers in El Salvador by sending wheelchairs and t-shirts.

“When you give someone the gift of mobility, you are giving them freedom and dignity…and when someone has freedom and dignity then they have hope for the future,” explains Don Routh.  Now retired, Don spreads awareness of the worldwide need for the means of mobility and the elation engendered by improving the life of each wheelchair recipient.  One of his initiatives at a Hayward elementary school gave low-income Latino students the opportunity to celebrate joy in their joint accomplishment: raising enough money to send six wheelchairs to less fortunate peers in El Salvador.

Don Routh plans to introduce the program the “Three Amigos” (Don, Josh and Bill) are currently piloting with the Pleasanton Unified School District to additional area school districts this spring. They provide live and video presentations, posters, collection containers, and fundraising ideas. Wheeler offers Blacktie’s community bus free for one field trip per school to either the Blackhawk Museum/Wheelchair Foundation exhibits or a wheelchair sport event.  Ten wheelchairs are available for schools to borrow in rotation for students to test drive or use in fundraising races or sport competitions. For information, email

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Eva Carleton, Regional Director of Operations of Latin America and the Caribbean, travels on 3-4 distribution trips a year while coordinating the delivery of 40-50 projects. Every working day she helps provide someone with what sh considers a basic human right: a wheelchair.  “Without a wheelchair,” Carleton notes, “you have to ask for everything you need.”  Eva’s mother’s quality of life improved dramatically once she accepted how enabling the device could be. She no longer has to ring for a nurse every time she wants a simple object like a tissue.

In a Colombian community several hours from Bogota, Carleton met a woman who had been unable to work for five years due to a spinal injury.  Thanks to her Foundation wheelchair, she was back at her job.  Minutes later, Eva encountered another wheelchair recipient happily earning money keeping parked cars safe.

“It’s always a joy to give someone a wheelchair and it is an even greater joy to personally watch and hear how that wheelchair improved their life,” explains David Behring, President of the Wheelchair Foundation.  David met Tran Nghia in 2003.  Born with a neurological disorder, the Vietnamese high school student depended on family and friends to carry her everywhere.  She needed a wheelchair to attend university to study English and become a doctor.  The following year David visited her family and they kept in touch.  In November 2012 they met again in Hanoi.  “Nghia unfortunately could not become a doctor due to her disability but she did learn English and translates documents for a Vietnamese company.  … Her smile was as radiant as I remembered it back in 2003.”

A wheelchair recipient with Kenneth Behring (right). Photo courtesy of the Wheelchair Foundation

Kenneth Behring make a point of shaking the hand of every wheelchair recipient.  “All we ask in return is a smile.”  Partnering with non-governmental agencies permits the Wheelchair Foundation to give the gift of mobility with no strings attached.  Creating global friendship and promoting the joy of giving are additional aspects of this non-profit organization’s mission “to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen, and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one.”

The Wheelchair Foundation’s annual Charity Ball at the Blackhawk Museum February 23rd is open to the public as are all Foundation fundraisers.  Jeff Behring, Director of Special Benefits, offers a Wine for Wheels private party plan getting rave reviews nationwide as a means for finding personal purpose while sharing fun with friends.  To register for the Charity Ball, plan a Wine for Wheels event, learn more about Foundation activities or to make a donation, visit www.wheelchairfoundation.org. Road to Purpose is available at the Danville Library.

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A Story Of Friendship, Hope and Mobility

David Behring, the President of Wheelchair Foundation, tells a brief story of how meeting a young wheelchair recipient in Vietnam has turned into a lifetime friendship.
Mr. David Behring with Tran Nghia in 2003

Tran Nghia was a 17 year old high school girl in Hanoi when I first met her.  She had been born with a neurological disorder that never allowed her to use her legs.  She was always carried by her parents, siblings and friends.  I was introduced to Nghia and her family at a wheelchair distribution in Hanoi in 2003.  I was immediately captivated by her smile and enthusiasm and, through a translator, found out that she wanted to study English and go to medical school to become a doctor.

She invited me to her home for tea on my next visit to Vietnam which actually occurred one year later.  At that meeting we learned much more about each other and stayed in touch through e-mail and Facebook during the next 8 years.  Nghia unfortunately could not become a doctor due to her disability but she did learn English and translates documents for a Vietnamese company.

In November of this year I returned to Vietnam with a dozen veterans and their spouses.  I arranged to meet Nghia and her mom at our Hanoi distribution.  It was definitely one of my trip highlights when I glanced over from the podium and saw the two them walking into the distribution.  Her smile was as radiant as I remembered it back in 2003. I immediately stopped my speech and introduced our personal story to the audience.  She met the veterans, was interviewed by a television station and made a short speech of her own about how the wheelchair had impacted her life.  It is always a joy to give someone a wheelchair and it is an even greater joy to personally watch and hear how that wheelchair improved their life.

Hanoi Wheelchair Distribution with Mr. David Behring and Tran Nghia
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Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, California and East Meets West Foundation visit Vietnam

WCF, the VVDV, and EMW present wheelchairs to para athletes and others.

In November of 2012, Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, California and East Meets West Foundation partnered together to distribute 260 All Terrain Wheelchairs and 60 Basketball and Tennis Sports Wheelchairs throughout the country of Vietnam.

On November 9th, 2012, Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, and East Meets West presented 40 wheelchairs to para athletes and others at NHIP CAU Foundation in the An Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District,  Can Tho City, Vietnam. We spent time with swimmers, track and field participants and others, as well as members of the community simply in need of mobility.  Ms. Van Ly, Regional Communications and Development Manager, East Meets West, attended with staff. Mr. Hung, Head of Social Protection Division, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA).

November 10th, 2012:  We paid a visit to the Thien An Social Protection Institution in Can Tho, Vietnam, an orphanage which returning members of the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley had contributed to in 2006. We were greeted and entertained by incredibly beautiful children.

A visit to Can Tho Thien, a social protection institution. Hank Fanger and one of the girls.

November 12th:  We distributed sports wheelchairs and All Terrain wheelchairs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Jerry Yahiro John Reese David Behring Rich Lambert w sports chair

Seen here Jerry Yahiro, John Reese, Wheelchair Foundation President David Behring and Richard Lambert of the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley.

November 14th: In Quang Tri Province, we distributed sports and standard wheelchairs to athletes and others in conjunction with the monthly INSPIRE Sports Exchange event, where persons with disabilities throughout Quang Tri Province gather to participate and compete in various sports (badmitton, basketball, ping-pong, tug of war, etc.) in Ward 5 of Dong Ha City. This was also the event to officially announce the Inclusive Sports Clubs or the city’s Ward 5.

Following the wheelchair distribution we visited East Meets Wests’ clean water system in Cam Thuy Commune, Cam Lo District, about 30 minutes outside of Dong Ha City.  We were joined by Ms. Tam, Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation, and Mr. Mark Conroy, EMW Senior Advisor.

November 16th:  In Hanoi we distributed 48 wheelchairs (18 sports wheelchair for the Hanoi  Disability Sports Club, and 30 to individuals) at the Hanoi Sports and Cultural Center .  Mr. Vu The Phiet, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Paralympic Association,   Ms. Minh Thu, Program Development Director, East Meets West.

Wheelchairs for the Hanoi Distribution

VVDV asked that three wheelchairs be donated to representatives from the Ninh Binh Social Support Center , Nam Binh, Ninh Binh Province, which houses 37 orphan children ranging from younger than five years old to High School age children.

November 17th: Hai Phong, Vietnam.  20 wheelchairs (sport and standard) distributed to recipients at the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  Six Sports Wheelchairs were donated to the Hai Phong Disability Sports Club, 10 Standard Wheelchairs were given to individual recipients.

Hai Phong Wheelchair Distribution Group.

Visit our Facebook page by clicking here and see more photos of this amazing distribution.

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Peru via Princeton

Images Courtesy of John Merrill/Merrill Images

The Princeton Class of 1977 delivers the gift of mobility to some of the most remote parts of Peru.

Story by Donna Freeman Princeton Class of 1977.

Bill and I arrived in Peru on July 24th, 12 days in advance of the August 4th rendezvous date. We traveled to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titikaka. We had brought walking sticks with us and did not regret the decision. Steep climbs up irregularly spaced steps, treacherous ramped pavements studded with stones vying for the opportunity to trip the unwary; loose gravel, deep sand, mud. More than once I found myself thinking what life would be like in Peru without two sound legs.

As a teacher of Spanish, I was eager to lend my language skills to the Class service project in Peru. One of my functions was “Exit Ambassador”, speaking with the recipients and those accompanying them. The easy part came first: the congratulatory sentiments and wishes for a healthy, productive, and happy future. Then came the explanation of how to fold the wheelchair for storage and the use of the adjustment tools, repair kits, and tire pumps attached chairs. The most difficult part was explaining how the standard chair could be modified to accommodate a child with a neurological disorder. We had brought special wheelchairs, but the demand far exceeded supply. “Perhaps you can fashion a neck support from cloth, like this, to support your child’s head. A good idea would be to use a belt or sash to keep your child from slipping out of the chair. You could use another sash here, and here, as a safety harness. Maybe a piece of fabric or wood, here, to support the feet.” Thank goodness for the universality of some hand gestures and the eagerness of parents to give the best possible care to their offspring.

As David Behring often says, “Every distribution is different.” Here are some vignettes illustrative of the value of our Class’s service project.

A 13-year-old girl had just received her chair. Her hands were contorted and her gaze cocked to one side. She was struggling to hold onto the bright pink box containing a Barbie-like doll. The girl did not respond to exhortations to look up for her picture. I addressed the elderly woman at her side. After exchanging greetings and names I asked, “Is this your daughter?” “My granddaughter.” I thought it better to err on the side of vanity. The woman looked weary and I was not sure of her age. “How will this chair change your granddaughter’s life?” I asked. The woman began to weep. As the tears reached her jawline she wiped them with the back of a weathered and calloused hand and said, “Please excuse me.” I would tell she felt shame for crying in front of me. “It’s alright,” I said hugging her. “I can tell your tears are tears of relief.” “Relief,” she repeated. “Relief and gratitude. My granddaughter is 13 years old. Her mother has to work. There is no father. I care for the three children. I’ve been carrying my granddaughter for 13 years. I can no longer carry her.” She paused and sighed. “She is too big and I am too old. Thank you. Thank you, so much.” As we hugged again, I felt the sting of tears in my own eyes. “Gracias, Mami. Gracias,” she said patting my shoulders. “You are most welcome. It is our great honor to give your granddaughter the gift of mobility.” “You have given ME the gift,” said the old woman as she left, pushing her granddaughter with great ease.

A young woman came in, carrying her elementary school-aged child in her arms. She had several children at her side. After exchanging pleasantries I asked how many children were in the family. Eight. The little girl was the youngest. Unable to walk since birth, she was receiving her first wheelchair. Simon Sankey had given the little girl a doll which the mother quickly took and held at her side, half hiding it in the fold of her skirt. “Wouldn’t you like to have the doll in the picture of your daughter?” I asked. “No,” replied the mother. “Today she received a chair. That is gift enough. I will keep the doll for her birthday so she will have a gift.” I was touched by the gratefulness of the mother and the poignant reminder that not all children’s parents can afford to buy them presents on their birthday.

“A general spoke at the distribution in Huancayo. Among his words were a few which have stuck with me and will remain with me. There are no physical handicaps, just challenges. These can be overcome with personal effort and the assistance and support of others. There are, however, spiritual handicaps. Those who see need and turn a blind eye and a deaf ear; or those who seek to deliberately harm others. These spiritual handicaps are evil and harmful not only to the individual but to the community.” After his address, the General watched me seat a recipient and listened to the explanation of how to close the chair after use. He examined the contents of the pouch on the chair’s back and paid careful attention to the purpose of the tools. Then he said, “I can help now.” I explained that each recipient was holding a certificate with his or her name and a number. The number corresponded to the appropriate size indicated on the side of each chair. Without hesitation the General found a recipient, selected the appropriate chair, seated the recipient, and explained to her what I had explained to him. When he needed assistance with a larger recipient, up stepped a soldier to lend a hand. I was impressed with the General’s genuine concern, compassion, and willingness to participate in the less glamorous parts of wheelchair distribution. He even got down on one knee to adjust the footrests. I liked the positive example of service he set for those under his command.

When Bill and I toured Lake Titikaka our guide was of Quechuan descent, a people living under the dominion of the Incan Empire. I took advantage of his knowledge to explain the unusual events that had been occurring since we awoke. At breakfast, there had been a cloud of incense in the interior courtyard of our hotel. During the cab ride to the Port of Puno we had witnessed many people throw yellow confetti on the heads of friends. As we boarded the launch, a crewman and our guide pelted each other with handfuls of the brightly colored crepe paper bits. When we passengers were settled on the boat, the guide explained it was Pachamama Day. “August 1st. It’s Mother Earth’s birthday. You will see a celebratory dance at the top of Taquile island. We’ll eat fish for lunch since the fish is the symbol for August. And we’ll eat yellow potato soup. You should know that the residents of Taquile still hold to the old Incan ways. Their four laws are simple: Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t be lazy. Today you help me; tomorrow I help you. He went on to explain a strong tradition: Among those who keep the old ways, if you do not provide community service, your voice will not be heard at meetings.

At the distribution in Molina a woman gave a moving speech. I am sorry to say I did not get her name or her title. She thanked us for the gift of mobility and choked back tears as she spoke from her own experience. “We with disabilities are often marginalized by society. Our families love us deeply but we are aware of the burden we place on already stretched resources. These wheelchairs will enable us to participate in the life of our community. Some of us will be able to work. It is a big step toward regaining dignity.”

An elegant elderly woman was thrilled to receive her chair. It was her first. Once an active participant in her community she had suffered a stroke fifteen years prior and had been confined to a chair in her livingroom. She was radiant as she ably negotiated her wheelchair through the discarded boxes and crowd of recipients. One last wave and she was out the door: her life no longer on pause.

The distribution at Huancayo was full of ceremony and music. Instead of recordings, the military band played both the Peruvian National Anthem and the Star Spangled Banner. Then, before the speeches began, the Mayor introduced a local celebrity named Elvis. Elvis is wheelchair-bound, but his voice soared as he sang a cut from his new album. What a beautiful metaphor for the human spirit that exists free of physical constraints.

At all of the distributions, individuals and their families approached us to see if there were any more wheelchairs somewhere. It was heartbreaking to turn them away. The need is in excess of the supply. As we were getting on the bus in Cerro de Pasco, a young girl came running up to me. “Señora! Señora! My grandmother just arrived and she needs a wheelchair.” She gestured behind her. A man and a woman where supporting an elderly figure: her arms over their shoulders; their arms around her waist; her legs dragging. “I’m so sorry, honey. We have no more wheelchairs.” The old woman said something to the girl in Quechua. “My grandmother wants to know what country you are from.” “The United States of America,” I replied. She told her grandmother who said something else to the girl. “My grandmother says you’ll be back. You’ll be back and next time she’ll get a chair.”

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on this and many more stories of the lives we’re impacting everyday!

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Peru Through The Eyes of Youth

This story was written by Laura Perkowski, the 24 year old daughter of Princeton Alum Ron Perkowski.

Princeton Alumni w/ their children at 15K feet.

“Our first full day was on Sunday, normally the day of rest. We, instead, boarded a bus at 6 AM to catch the train at 8 AM, where we rode in luxury to La Oroya. Any record of this trip would be completely inaccurate without mention of this train, where we spent two days riding, adapting, conversing, and looking at the most amazing landscapes. In our first 24 hours, the 2nd Gen had already had experiences and seen sights that most people will never get to have or see.

“We went from 0 to 15,681 feet in one day by train, got to ride the locomotive (on the front!), were served gourmet food at high altitudes, sucked on coca leaves, and got to see wild flamingos and herds of alpacas (All of our thanks to Mr. Henry Posner ‘77 and the F.C.C.A., who arranged for us take a train out of schedule and for taking care of us and our altitude sickness).

On the train headed to 15,000 feet. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“The distributions were just as breathtaking as the views on the train, but for entirely different reasons. While we were riding in luxury on the train, and even the bus, we were distributing wheelchairs and toys in places that are among the poorest and most polluted in the world, not to mention at the highest altitude! We were not below 10,000 feet for a few days. Every distribution was different, with a different venue organization, different welcoming posters and flags, and different welcoming gifts. In La Oroya, a giant poster of Señor David Behring, along with 25 wheelchairs that needed assembling, welcomed us. We were late, but that did not halt the excitement shown by the people of La Oroya, who desperately needed their mobility. This is also where I became the official toy distributor of the trip, due to my ability to speak any Spanish and the fact that I was standing there already.

Kids With Recipient and Alum Ron Perkowski.

 
 
 
“The Sankey twins (Fiona and Simon, aged 11) were my helpers, while Kelly, Alex, Dan, and Christina helped set up and get people their wheelchairs. After the ceremony, where we received La Oroya hats and Señor David Behring received a felt tapestry, we traveled to our next stop, Tarma. Sadly, a few of us fell victim to the altitude along the way, including me, so while I am told there was a fantastic dinner and poker tournament, I went straight to sleep instead.

“If you have never given out wheelchairs above 10,000 feet, it is hard to explain just how exhausting this process was. We spent the second day giving out wheelchairs in Tarma and Cerro de Pasco, around 50 in total. While the amount was not great, the need was, and we were as tired as if we had done 100. It was very hard to keep up the physical labor, despite the age, so the young ones came in handy, particularly the two teenaged boys!

Laura Perkowski Assembling a Wheelchair. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“In these two cities, due to the small amounts of wheelchairs, we gave out small things like bracelets and toy dinosaurs to the kids who came to the distributions, rather than just toys for the kids receiving a chair. It was great seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces. More ceremonies went on here, with more tapestries, hats, and certificates for Señor David Behring and us. Alex and Dan were in charge of the American flag during the flag ceremony in Tarma and did us all proud. We had fun listening to the speeches and seeing how much more we understood as we continued on. It was also interesting contrasting the speeches of Señor David Behring with Mr. Henry Posner’s… as the week wore on, Señor David Behring’s speeches got longer while Mr. Posner’s got shorter.

“Our last day in the Andes was spent in Huancayo, where we had spent the night in the Hotel Susan, an experience we will share and remember for many, many years. Huancayo was by far our biggest distribution, and probably my favorite, a feeling that I believe to be shared by most of us. We had about 100 wheelchairs to give out, but this time we had the local soldier unit helping us by doing the initial setup of the wheelchairs and lifting their neighbors and other recipients into their chairs. They also were very eager to learn how to set up the chairs, and took to it very quickly. The ceremony was also our favorite, despite the length. Señor David Behring, Mr. Posner, and Mr. Bill Farrell all were honored with bright yellow vests embroidered with flowers, and gave speeches, but by far the best thing that happened was that they dressed up Mr. Behring like a doll. As soon as we saw him given the vest, we called out the photographer, Mr. John Merrill, to get over there to take pictures. It only got better. He was given one of the traditional shawls that the women carried babies in, and one of their hats, along with four dolls. It was at this point that we gave up trying to call him anything but Señor David Behring, as our parents all found it hilarious.

Picture of Mr. David Behring dressed in the local attire. Photo Courtesy of John Merrill ‘77/MerrillImages.com

“The last few days went by very quickly after that. We took a long 8-hour bus ride back to Lima, somehow avoiding motion sickness from all of us, and settled in for two nights. Once more, I got sick, missing the Lima distributions at Hospital San Juan de Dios and La Molina, but there we were able to give needed neurological wheelchairs to children who had no hope of moving even with the regular chairs. The last few days were disappointing only in that no one dressed up our leaders like dolls again. The last distribution was in Huara, where Mr. Farrell’s wife, Marleny (our Secretary of State!) had quite a bit of family. We enjoyed a traditional folk dance and finished giving out the last of the 500 or so wheelchairs we had brought. We even gained another Princeton family as Jeremy, Ben, and Carolyn joined us and gave us extra help.

“In this one crazy week, we got to great heights, improved our Spanish, met all kinds of people, heard these inspiring stories about how their family and friends would carry these people who couldn’t walk, and how much this would help the daughter be able to go to school, or the mother who was pregnant again, ate some truly amazing food, stayed at very different hotels, saw every single town square, saw the oldest city in North America (Bandurias), created our own government, and heard about how these very serious men caught sharks and dressed up like priests. It definitely impacted each age group differently, as we had three middle-schoolers, three high-schoolers, and three post-college adults in the 2nd Gen group. For us oldest ones, this trip showed us how we might be in 30 years, and what an impact we could make. It certainly inspired us to push our own college classes to doing a community service project of some kind to correlate with our own reunions. Who knows? Maybe in 5 years, the Princeton Class of ’77 will be doing a joint trip with one of our classes. A lot will happen to us in five years, but one thing is for certain, if we are able to go on this trip again, we will be (yes, Dad, even without you). To the Princeton Class of ’77, thank you so much for allowing us to tag along and sharing your stories, and I sincerely hope that I will get to see you all again before the next trip.”

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