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Articles from the Wheelchair Foundation headquarters in Danville, CA and major news source outlets.

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East Bay Regional Park District Begins New Online Series Adventures with Wheelchair Hiker/Motivational Speaker, Bob Coomber

Oakland, CA – The East Bay Regional Park District has partnered with wheelchair hiker and motivational speaker Bob Coomber, aka 4WheelBob, to provide an online hiking series geared toward accessible hiking trails, titled “Adventures with 4WheelBob.” Coomber will profile flat or slightly graded trails in the East Bay Regional Park District that can accommodate wheelchairs, mobility devices, parents with strollers, young children on bikes, or anyone looking for a pleasant place to enjoy nature and the outdoors. As an added bonus, Coomber will also highlight a “challenge” hike of greater length and ability. Adventures with 4WheelBob can be found on the East Bay Regional Park District’s website under a Feature (photo) box on the right side of the webpage or by typing www.ebparks.org/bobcoomber. Additional hikes will be updated monthly on the website.

Coomber is well-known in the East Bay as an active hiker, writer, and speaker. He became disabled after a long struggle with diabetes caused severe and irreversible osteoporosis. A lifelong hiker, Bob soon began experimenting with easy outdoors excursions and has become a staple of local newspaper and television shows – that guy in a wheelchair who won’t believe in limits. He’s also been featured in national news on the CBS “Early Show”, ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” and the Hallmark Channel.

On August 24, 2007 Coomber became the first person in a wheelchair to summit California’s third highest peak, 14,246’ White Mountain. He is also the first in a wheelchair to summit two local favorites, Mt. Diablo and its companion, North Peak, as well as Mission Peak in Fremont.

He has been very involved with the East Bay Regional Park District serving as a volunteer ambassador and as an appointed member of the Park Advisory Committee. “A day in our Regional Parks provides a chance to get close to nature, encourage exercise and enable all who venture onto a trail to take in a thousand wonders. I hope to see a lot of people take advantage of the amazing trails and sights and sounds of each of our Regional Parks,” says Coomber.

Coomber was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in January, 2007. He was one of only 27 Americans to receive the President’s Council on Physical Fitness Community Leadership Award in 2008. In October of 2010, Bob plans to summit Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, and be the first unassisted wheelchair to make the journey. The trip will also serve to distribute 200 wheelchairs in Arusha, Tanzania, in partnership with The Wheelchair Foundation of Danville.

SOURCE: East Bay Regional Park District

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East Bay foundation gives the gift of mobility

DANVILLE, CA (KGO) — A wheelchair can mean the difference between being bed-ridden or leading a productive life. But in many parts of the world, cost keeps them out of the hands of people who need them. One East Bay charity is hoping to make a difference two wheels at a time.

On the island of San Pedro in Belize, artist Kurt Jason Cruz was attacked in 2006. It left him completely paralyzed.

“I got stabbed in my lower back and neck and was paralyzed for four months and I couldn’t even move from neck down,” he said.

He has regained some mobility, and can now get around thanks to the Danville-based Wheelchair Foundation. The non-profit has given away hundreds of thousands of wheelchairs over the past decade to people in need all over the world. The idea began with developer Ken Behring. Now his sons have taken up the cause.

“The most important thing is to be able to give personally,” said Jeff Behring.

The Behrings organize trips around the world so donors can hand over the wheelchairs in person.

“I think year after year the people that have gone on our wheelchair missions in the past always want to repeat themselves, so we’re getting a larger and larger number of people who want to go with us and personally participate and put people in wheelchairs and give them the gift of mobility,” said Jeff Behring.

“When you see the smiles and tears — I get very emotional,” said David Behring. “When somebody starts crying out of joy, I usually end up breaking down with the family.”

The Wheelchair Foundation buys specially designed wheelchairs in China for about $150.

“They don’t have the money and the resources,” said David Behring. “Many of these people make less than a thousand dollars a year, and in these countries a wheelchair can cost anywhere from $400 to $700.”

Volunteers say seeing the joy in the eyes of those who get a wheelchair is like no experience they have ever had.

“All of a sudden when you put them in a wheelchair you can feel that, you can feel the change, you feel the desire to live and wanting to be and embracing life and do things and it’s just an amazing thing to experience, but it’s an amazing thing to feel,” said volunteer Glenn Perry.

The Wheelchair Foundation is now trying to raise money for 2,000 wheelchairs to send to the devastated regions of Haiti. Every $75 donation is matched and improves the life of one person.

For more information on how you can help, visit www.wheelchairfoundation.org.

SOURCE: ABC 7 KGO-San Francisco

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Get inspired by 4Wheel Bob!

Now that winter is winding down, BCC team member Bob Coomber is getting us motivated to get out there on the bike or any other human-powered contraption on wheels. In fact, affectionately known as “4Wheel Bob,” Bob uses a wheelchair to get around. After acquiring juvenile diabetes in his early 20’s, Bob struggled with leg, ankle and knee fractures. The solution? A wheelchair!

Since then Bob became the first person in a wheelchair to summit California’s 3rd highest peak: White Mountain, at over 14,200 feet. Bob is also the first in a chair to summit Mt. Diablo and its companion, North Peak, as well as Mission Peak in Fremont.

Inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2007, Bob was one of only 27 Americans to receive the President’s Council on Physical Fitness Community Leadership Award in 2008. He’s also been featured in every Bay Area newspaper, as well as the CBS “Early Show,” ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” and the Hallmark Channel.

In October of 2010, Bob plans to summit Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, and be the first unassisted wheelchair to make the journey. The trip will also serve to distribute 200 wheelchairs in Arusha, Tanzania, in partnership with The Wheelchair Foundation of Danville. A potential spring warm up summit attempt of Mexico’s Orizaba (18,490’) is being pondered.

An inspiring motivational speaker, Bob is popular with everyone from schoolchildren to senior hikers. He loves to inspire others to reach for their goals, no matter what the “perceived” obstacles. Bob has been married to wife Gina for 14 years. They spend what he calls “way too much time” finding new trails to explore all over California and the West.

So when you find yourself thinking the car is easier to take than hopping on the bike, remember Bob climbing up a rocky trail, making his way to the top of some peak somewhere using only his powerful arms…

Check out Bob’s new feature page through the East Bay Parks website at http://www.ebparks.org/bobcoomber.

Be the change! Commute by bike (or wheelchair)!

SOURCE: Be The Change Cyclists

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Wheelchairs for Haiti

Our District has a long and proud history as a strong supporter of the Wheelchair Foundation since its inception in the year 2000. The tragic earthquake in Haiti has created an enormous need for wheelchairs in that country for the many survivors who have now become amputees, or have suffered injuries which has taken away their mobility. The following is an excerpt from a recent message from Father Rick Frechette.

“After weeks of frenetic activity, we are returning to a state of equilibrium. Our hospital had become a trauma MASH unit, as had all other medical centers in Port au Prince that are still standing. We were able to offer about 30 surgeries a day at four sites (two in our hospital, one on our hospital grounds in a tent, and one at the St. Camillus Hospital, which we staffed for the emergency.) Many of these, sadly, were amputations – sometimes two for the same adult or child.”

“To give an idea of the size of the problem, it is likely there are about 20,000 people now who have been amputated or who have orthopedic hardware screwed through their skin to the bone. Port au Prince has about 20 Haitian orthopedic surgeons, and visiting teams to Haiti will soon leave. All 20,000 need to be followed closely for removal of hardware, control of infection, reevaluation of the amputation, and of course for artificial limbs and rehabilitation.”

The Wheelchair Foundation has approached our District knowing of our strong support in the past and our special relationship with Haiti through our friendships with so many of our fellow Rotarians in that country. Our District and the Wheelchair Foundation has set a goal of delivering two containers, or 560 wheelchairs to Haiti as soon as we can get the funds together and arrange the shipping.

Thanks to the vast experience of the Wheelchair Foundation in reacting to natural disasters worldwide this can be accomplished very quickly. All we need are the funds. Through our special arrangement with the Wheelchair Foundation, we can provide these 560 wheelchairs at a cost of $56,000.00, or only $100.00 per wheelchair. I am asking every Rotarian and every Rotary club in District 6960 to join me in making this goal happen as soon as possible.

For further information, please contact Steve Agius at

st***@ct********.com











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Steve Agius
Bonita Springs Noon Rotary Club, District 6960
President, Rotary Florida Gift of Life, Inc.
Chairman Wheelchair Foundation Committee
(239) 513-0200


st***@ct********.com











 SOURCE: Rotary District 6960

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