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Photo: tania sandberg Albert Tamontino was the recipient of a new wheelchair on Monday. At the handover (back, from left) Gail (daughter), Erwin Vermaak (dealer principal), Carol Matthews (marketing executive) and Travis Clarke (sales manager).
ALBERT Tamontino was the happy recipient of a new wheelchair on Monday as part of motor dealership Mark White Nissan’s “Change your Wheels, Change a Life” campaign.
Tramontino turned 87 on 29 July, and says the chair is a wonderful birthday gift. He has severe Dementia Alzheimers, heart valve problems, peripheral neuropathy, meaning he has little feeling in his legs, and blood-flow problems.
His daughter Gail, who takes care of him, says the wheelchair will change their lives tremendously as she wants to take him on outings and the wheelchair will give her the freedom to do so.
“He is my only family and has been staying with me for 10 years, since my mother passed away. The blood-flow problem makes it difficult for him to move his legs and he also battles with balance,” Gail says.
She says her dad is a kind, loving person. “He is one of a kind, when they made him, they broke the mould.”
Mark White Nissan launched the first campaign in April whereby for each vehicle bought in the dealership, a portion goes to the wheelchair foundation. A wheelchair is purchased and handed over to a person/s within the community in need.
“We proud of the fact that our dealership is the only dealership in South Africa that has this campaign. We are even prouder that one month after launching the campaign we handed over our first wheelchair,” said Carol Matthews, Mark White Nissan, marketing executive and organiser of the campaign and the wish list said. This is their third handover.
“If anyone needs one, please send me the names, or if you know of someone who has an old one, and it is time for an upgrade. All names are put onto our wish list.”
If anyone needs one, please send me the names, or if you know of someone who has an old one, and it is time for an upgrade.
Our youngest ‘hunter’ this year was a 6 year old and have even had an 8 year old girl shoot an ostrich! Most memorable was Caleb who arrived on crutches with a broken leg, but was out there every day and even shot a few himself. On one occasion when they were stalking, he and Jonathan, the PH, did some kind of ‘leopard crawl’ with Caleb on Jonathan’s back!
On Sunday the 30th of January 2005 a group of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Pretoria went to the Modisha (part of Moretele) Association for the Disabled (close to Winterveldt) in South Africa in order to hand over 12 wheelchairs to needy recipients.