fbpx
DONATE NOW

Posts

, ,

Fundraising for Fiji

Eight-year-old Salamisa Vunilagi, Junior couldn’t stop smiling. He’s dreamed of one thing every day for as long as he can remember, and today, his dream finally came true.

Junior’s new wheelchair.

When Junior was an infant, he was diagnosed with meningitis, and the disease soon crippled him. Junior’s parents, Salamisa, Sr. and Vani Mainukulau, did everything they could, even trekking from their rural home to the nearest city of Labasa, in hopes of finding a cure for his paralyzed condition. They were broken-hearted to learn that nothing could be done. As each birthday passed, Junior remained completely dependent on his mother and father – while dreaming each day of independence. No longer a dream, Junior received a gift that changed the lives of the entire family – a new wheelchair.

This special delivery was made possible by the Wheelchair Foundation, along with the Rotary Club of Labasa, as part of the Vodafone “World of Difference” initiative undertaken by the ACATA Trust Fiji to provide assistance to the physically challenged. A total of 110 wheelchairs were presented to the Red Cross, the Spinal Injury Association, and other distribution partners over the course of 10 days, and one man in particular played a significant role in the success of this effort.

“This will give them mobility to move around and be productive and they do not have to depend on others. My message to them is to use the wheelchairs wisely.”
-Chetan Singh Heyer

Chetan (Chet) Singh Heyer is a native of Fiji, and his heart reaches out to the people living with disabilities in his homeland. During his visit to the country in 2010, Chet was alarmed by the overwhelming number of citizens in need of wheelchairs. He returned to the United States determined to make a difference in the lives of his island people, and became Founder and President of the fundraising project Fiji Wheelchairs.

Chet and his family aspired to bring the gift of mobility to their fellow Fijians, and with the help of the Wheelchair Foundation, the Singh Heyers were able to achieve their kind-hearted goal.

/by
,

Triopia Concerts Raise Funds for the Wheelchair Foundation

Jacksonville, IL – Triopia music director Jeremy Bartunek wants children to understand that trophies may be fun, but it’s more important to change lives.

That’s why all the money raised at Triopia’s concerts goes to the Wheelchair Foundation.

The concept began at Bartunek’s first holiday concert in December, 2009.

“When I came here, I noticed a whole bunch of plaques for sports and speech, but nothing for the music department,” Bartunek said. “I thought we needed some decorating.”

For each wheelchair, the school receives a certificate with a picture of the recipient. The certificates line the hallway outside Bartunek’s room…

FULL STORY HERE: http://myjournalcourier.com

/by
,

Red Wheelchairs Bring Mobility to Shanghai Lianyang New Community

Redchair Donation Ceremony

Red Wheelchair Donation Ceremony

September 28 2011 – With the funding raised by British International School Shanghai Puxi, the Wheelchair Foundation announced the donation of 32 wheelchairs to Shanghai Pudong Lianyang New Community. Those chairs will be distributed to 6 community residential centers, 18 communities, and Lianyang Health Service Center, as community public wheelchairs, to give mobility convenience to local residents. Mr. Yan Jiawei, Director of Volunteer Management Department, Shanghai’s construction of Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee Office, representatives from the Wheelchair Foundation, British International School Shanghai Puxi, Lianyang New Community have participated in the donation ceremony.

Representatives from Lianyang Community
Accepting the Wheelchairs

In light of the Shanghai World Expo, the Wheelchair Foundation launched the Redchair Program in 2009, which seeks to raise funding for the donation of red wheelchairs, to be distributed to community residential centers throughout Shanghai for public and communal use. Up to now, there are 1,100 red wheelchairs have been donated to Shanghai and nearby cities.Unlike the traditional way of wheelchair donation, the Redchair program emphasis on community and collaboration with social volunteer service, to take the Redchair as a platform to serve the disadvantaged people.

“We find what the Wheelchair Foundation is doing are great, and we’d like to be part of it.” said Coola, student representative from British International School Shanghai Puxi, “The students in grade 6 of our school have raised the money, by many of activities.”

Mr. Chen Ruping, Director of Lianyang New Community Service Center spoke highly of the donation, “Shanghai has entering to aging society, those red wheelchairs will bring true benefit to our senior citizens in Lianyang, and it also gives everyone an opportunity to be a Redchair volunteer, to help someone living in the neighborhood, it’s fantastic.”

3M China also donated 500 car reflective stickers to Lianyang New Community, to encourage safe driving and to help prevent accidents.

/by
, ,

Breadtags for Wheelchairs

 

Mary Honeybun

Cape Town, South Aftrica – Mary Honeybun of Cape Town, South Aftrica, turns tiny pieces of plastic into life-changing gifts! The incredible octogenarian raises funds for wheelchairs by collecting the tags used to keep plastic bags tied around a loaf of bread – something most people discard without giving it a second thought.

Mary sells the bread tags for recycling and facilitates the handing out of wheelchairs for disabled people with the help of the Wheelchair Foundation. Most of the recipients of the chairs had lost limbs through diabetes or the ability to walk due to a stroke.

Mary Honeybun was initially inspired when she heard of a project through which “people collect the plastic tags at the top of bread bags to raise funds for charity projects” and in 2006, she founded Bread Tags for Wheelchairs.

Currently, Mary Honeybun is working in partnership with Adri Spannenberg, director of the Polystyrene Packaging Council of SA – an NPO – and they hope that soon more people in need will be given their independence.

The Polystyrene Packaging Council have helped Mary organize the transport for her tags to the recycling plant and made containers for her collections. They also supply her with labels and photo frames, which she hands out during her talks to schools and other groups, although Mary prefers to re-use old boxes in the spirit of recycling.

[nggallery id=10]

/by
,

Brits Abroad Shanghai – Red, White, & Blue Charity Ball for Wheelchair Foundation

April 23, 2011 – Shanghai

Celebrate for the Royal Wedding

The Union Jacks were flying high in more ways than one at The Fairmont Peace Hotel in the Peace Hall Ballroom on Saturday Night at our Red White & Blue Ball. Ball-goers entered into the spirit of the occasion with an array of ball gowns and jackets, which amply qualified, and in some cases over qualified, for the most appropriate attire for the evening – it was all in good fun and in celebration of the forthcoming marriage of William & Kate.

The happy couple put in an appearance, and were very obliging, standing for over five hours being photographed with all and sundry before being carted off in the wheelchair. The special wheelchair had been supplied by the Wheelchair Foundation – beneficiary of the funds raised on the night – £££££ and our people are still counting.

VIEWING THE WORLD FROM ONE METER HIGH….

Silent Auction Items

500 rmb buys and delivers one wheelchair – this was the message on the night and the reason for raising funds. The Wheelchair Foundation provided this specially prepared wheelchair so that guests could see exactly where their money would be spent.

A full update will be featured in our news in due course to let you know exactly where, when and how many wheelchairs have been delivered. Angie Shen, Chief Representative China (below) addressing guests – explaining the work of the Wheelchair Foundation. Kathy Li, PR Manager, also attended, and two volunteers helped to sell the raffle tickets. Kind-hearted sponsors donated items for the raffle and the silent auction. Fund-raising silent auctioneers provided even more items, and organized and arranged the sealed bidding on the night.

/by