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Wheelchair Foundation Responds to Need

katrina_recipientResponding to urgent calls for assistance, the Wheelchair Foundation announced it is delivering some 3,200 wheelchairs to victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

“We are shipping every available wheelchair in our inventory to Louisiana, Mississippi and other states to help our fellow Americans in this time of crisis,” said David Behring, president of the Wheelchair Foundation. “We are also seeking contributions to speed orders for additional wheelchairs from our suppliers.”

The Foundation has shipped 280 wheelchairs to Houston, Texas, to aid evacuees.  “We’re in desperate need of wheelchairs,” said Linda Beason from the Houston Center for Independent Living. “The people of Houston have adopted the evacuees of New Orleans and we want to help them as much as we can, including the ones with physical disabilities and the senior citizens. Thousands had to leave their wheelchairs in order to escape the devastation of the flood.  We are very grateful for the 280 wheelchairs we received, but are in immediate need of hundreds more.”

Through the American Red Cross, wheelchairs sponsored by the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriot Family Foundation were donated to sheltered evacuees in Washington, D.C.  Additional wheelchairs have been sponsored for people in several states by Wheelchair Foundation Southeast in Florida, Intermountain Health Care and the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation in Utah, and over 2,500 by the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas through Wheelchair Foundation Nevada.

Approximately one million residents have been displaced because of the hurricane and resulting flood; tens of thousands of them are physically disabled and senior citizens. Many were forced to leave their wheelchairs behind as they boarded overcrowded buses headed to Houston and San Antonio. With thousands of evacuees being sheltered in Texas and many more waiting throughout Louisiana and Mississippi to be transported to safety, the need for basic mobility wheelchairs is overwhelming.

As the country watches the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in horror, numerous organizations and government agencies are doing what they can to help. The Wheelchair Foundation is joining in these relief efforts and is seeking your help. For each $150 donation the Wheelchair Foundation can ship and deliver a brand new wheelchair to organizations assisting the victims suffering from this disaster. To make an online donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina, please click below: 

To make a donation by mail or by phone, please click here. Please make checks payable to “Wheelchair Foundation Katrina Relief”.

The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom. For more information please visit our website at www.wheelchairfoundation.org or call (877) 378-3839.

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Katrina Victims in Desperate Need of Wheelchairs

083005_katrina4“We’re in desperate need of wheelchairs,” said a frantic Linda Beason from the Houston Center for Independent Living.  Beason continued, “The people of Houston have adopted the evacuees of Katrina and we want to help them as much as we can, including the ones with physical disabilities and the senior citizens.  Thousands had to leave their wheelchairs in order to escape the devastation of the storm.”

Approximately one million residents have been displaced because of the hurricane and thousands of these residents were physically disabled and senior citizens.  These individuals were forced to leave their wheelchairs behind as they boarded overcrowded buses headed to Houston and San Antonio.  With over 12,000 evacuees filling the Astrodome and thousands still waiting throughout Louisiana and Mississippi to be transported to safety, the overwhelming need for wheelchairs is obvious. 

As the country watches in horror at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many types of organizations and government agencies are doing what they can to help. The Wheelchair Foundation is joining in these relief efforts and is seeking your help.  For a simple $150 donation the Wheelchair Foundation will ship and deliver a brand new wheelchair to the victims suffering from Katrina.  To make an online donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina, please click below: 

To make a donation by mail or by phone, please click here. Please make checks payable to “Wheelchair Foundation Katrina Relief”.

The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to create awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities, to promote the joy of giving, create global friendship, and to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom. For more information please visit our website at www.wheelchairfoundation.org or call (877) 378-3839.

Please forward this article on to friends and family and thank you for your support.

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Tempe Sister Cities to Aid Iraqis

BaghdadThe war in Iraq seems so remote from the comfortable lives we lead in the East Valley.

It’s not like World War II where citizens felt a real engagement with the war. This is a questionable, dubious war whose conflict is beyond understanding. We mourn the tragic loss of lives in this struggle.

For most of us, our only connection to this war is through the news media. There are daily stories of tragic car bombings and other violent atrocities. Beside the brutal killings, there’s another aspect of this war not always portrayed by the media: The suffering of the downtrodden and weaker members of a war-torn society. The already physically disabled and ill endure even more.

Thousands of Iraqi people have been maimed and are physically disabled from this conflict. While most of us feel powerless to make a difference in the lives of these people, Tempe Sister Cities recently announced that they will send wheelchairs to victims of wartime violence in the city of Hilla. They are participating in the Partners for Peace project with Iraq through Sister Cities International.

Hilla is next to the Euphrates River some 60 miles south of Baghdad. About a million people live there. In 1991, after Saddam Hussein’s forces temporarily lost control of Hilla during an uprising, many residents were terrorized and thousands were executed in retaliation. Today, many people remain disabled with reduced mobility.

Tempe is the fifth and smallest U.S. community chosen to participate in the Partners for Peace program, joining Dallas, Tucson, Denver and Philadelphia. The program in Iraq was announced last year by First Lady Laura Bush during the G-8 Summit. The federal government contributed initial funding for the project, which is administered through Sister Cities International. Each partnership receives a $20,000 seed grant.

Part of the grant money will be used to fund wheelchairs for Hilla in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation. Their goal over the next five years is to deliver 1 million wheelchairs to people around the world who cannot afford to buy them.

Tempe Sister Cities joins Rotary Clubs in the U.S. and Canada that have sent 1,120 wheelchairs to Iraq.

Tempe has led the way in groundbreaking Sister Cities relationships for more than 30 years. Tempe became the first U.S. city to twin with a community in Eastern Europe, linking with Skopje, Macedonia, (then Yugoslavia) in 1971. That relationship continues today as well as relationships with six other cities on four continents: Regensburg, Germany; Lower Hutt, New Zealand; Zhenjiang, China; Timbuktu, Mali; Beaulieu sur Mer, France; and Carlow, Ireland.

Tempe’s relationship with Hilla is an alternative to the traditional long-term Sister Cities partnership. This shorter term project is designed to focus on humanitarian aid programs.

The Tempe Sister Cities program has received 17 national awards including Best Overall Program from Sister Cities International in 2004. Its major fund-raising event, the “Way Out West Oktoberfest” was named Arizona Event of the Year 2003 and takes place again this year, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Tempe Sister Cities also received the Tempe Human Relations Commission 2002 Diversity Award.

Tempe Sister Cities’ relationship with Hilla has just begun. At a future meeting, delegates from both sides will exchange ideas on how to improve humanitarian conditions in Hilla. Fostering communication, cooperation and understanding will be the first goals.

As you see, there is a way for East Valley residents who want to make a positive difference in this war, after all. Information: www.sister- cities.org; www.wheelchair foundation.org; or www .tempesc.org.

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Bimmerworld Team Battles the Heat of Cleveland for a Season Best Finish

Cleveland_bigWith high temperatures and strong competition BimmerWorld Racing once again finishes with two drivers in the top 10 at the exciting Grand Prix of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio.

The BimmerWorld Racing team arrived in Cleveland fresh and ready to race after the one month break in the Speed Touring Car schedule and it showed in the consistent performance of the cars throughout the weekend.  Even with little time on this new course the BimmerWorld team was able to dial in the cars and help to place all three drivers in the top half of the field on the starting grid.  #36 James Clay stated “the crew was amazing on getting the cars up to speed with minimal practice time – the car was very good.” The qualifying position and excellent start had all three BimmerWorld drivers in the top 10 going into turn one off the start.

Seth Thomas in the #38 BimmerWorld Racing 325i had an excellent race in Cleveland with a 15th position on the starting grid becoming a 4th place overall finish, collecting both the B&M HoleShot and Sunoco Hard Charger awards for his brilliant drive.  Heat played a major role in the race. Seth explains, “the crew fought the immense heat to give me a car that handled flawlessly throughout the race.  My tires started to overheat which caused me to back off for a few laps but when the tires came back I was able to turn lap times faster then my qualifying time.”

It was a homecoming race of sorts for Matt Richmond in the #37 BimmerWorld Racing 325i who placed his car in the 11th spot of the starting grid and had a smooth drive to a great finish in the race.  “I always love coming back to Cleveland so racing here was a real treat. The BimmerWorld crew did a fantastic job to give me a super-consistent car that helped me to get another top 10 finish” proclaimed Richmond.  Matt drove into an 8th place finish overall in a race that had few incidents and ran full green.

The #36 BimmerWorld Racing 325i of James Clay had a race with numerous interruptions but luckily no damage incurred as he qualified in 10th but was quickly moved back in the pack due to traffic at turn one. James Clay explains “I had a fantastic start, but a car parked it in front of me in the first turn and I lost the positions I gained and more.” After numerous interruptions with spinning cars in the very fast chicane Clay persevered through thick traffic to scramble his car into a finish of 12th overall. James later said “no excuses, that is part of racing and I have ended up on the good side of it also.  [It is] frustrating but I am glad my team mates finished well. The crew was amazing in getting the cars up to speed with minimal practice time.”

The BimmerWorld Racing team continues to carry the flag for BMW as the leading European team in manufacturers points with all 3 driver’s now in the top ten in overall points. Matt Richmond is in 8th (85), Seth Thomas in 9th (73), and James Clay in 10th (71) after 5 races of the 2005 season.

Round 5 from Cleveland, Ohio was shown live on Speed Channel so if you missed the race be sure to catch up with the action in the next event. Speed World Challenge racing will continue in Round 6 at the scenic Lime Rock Park in conjunction with the ALMS series in Lakeville, Connecticut July 1-4.

The 2005 BimmerWorld Racing World Challenge team is sponsored by Ground Control, Hawk Performance, StopTech, Silkolene, Eibach, Rogue Engineering, Bimmerforums.com, and The Wheelchair Foundation. For more information on BimmerWorld Racing please visit www.bimmerworldracing.com

Photos by Jimmy Sykes.

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Tempe Sister Cities to Send Wheelchairs to Iraq

BaghdadTempe Sister Cities recently received a grant that will help it reach out to a partner city in Iraq and send wheelchairs to victims of wartime violence.

Sister Cities International announced that its Tempe program will participate in its Partners for Peace project with Iraq.

Tempe will help out the Iraqi city of Hilla, south of Baghdad.

The program was chosen for the project through a competitive grants process managed by Sister Cities International in cooperation with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

“The grant from the State Department is $20,000, and there are several aspects to what we’re doing with it,” said NoRa Trevino, Tempe Sister Cities director.

“We want first to reach out to people in Hilla and open up the lines of communication.

“Then we’ll have a meeting with a delegation from Hilla this fall when they come to the United States.”

Trevino said Iraqi officials will visit Tempe officials “to learn about democratic government,” and coordinating committees in both countries will work to improve humanitarian conditions in Hilla.

Trevino said that the grant money will be used, in part, to put on the group’s 35th annual Oktoberfest celebration at Tempe Beach Park.

She said the event usually draws about 200,000 people over three days.

“We’ll use money we earn at Oktoberfest to send 280 wheelchairs to Hilla, which I’m afraid they have a very great need for,” Trevino said.

Richard Neuheisel, president of the Tempe Sister Cities organization, said the group’s goal “is always to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.”

Hilla is about 60 miles south of Baghdad on the banks of the Euphrates River. Nearly half a million people live there.

In 1991 after Saddam Hussein’s forces temporarily lost control of the city during an uprising at the end of the first Gulf War, Hilla’s residents were terrorized and thousands executed in reprisal.

Also, during the two Gulf wars and the insurgency that still rages, hundreds of Hilla residents have received injuries that have reduced or eliminated their mobility.

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