Rotarians Give Away 1400 Wheelchairs in Monterrey, Mexico

January 18, 2004

One thousand four hundred children and adults in Monterrey, Mexico are no longer hindered by their lack of mobility thanks to selfless sacrifices of Rotarians in Districts 5160, 5230, 5170, and 5730. On January 15-18, 2004 Rotarians put service before self and journeyed to Monterrey to witness first-hand the immediate impact a wheelchair can have on individuals, families, and communities. Four Past Presidents of Rotary International, 36 Rotarians from California and Texas, and over 200 local Rotarians, Rotaract and Interact members from Monterrey participated in the distribution. The wheelchair distribution was held in a large gymnasium in Monterrey on Saturday, January 16. As the Rotarians filed off the bus and into the gym, they quickly realized that they were at the right place. Mark Perry, Assistant District Governor of District 5230 and member of the Visalia Breakfast Rotary Club, said, "Getting off the bus and stepping into the gymnasium and seeing the boxes and boxes and boxes of wheelchairs was a little overwhelming. I knew we were going to be distributing quite a few wheelchairs, but when you see them it's a whole other feeling." After a brief explanation from Wheelchair Foundation representatives on the organization of the distribution, the Rotarians jumped in feet first and began disassembling the boxes and assembling the wheelchairs. Footrest and leg straps were securely fastened, registration tables were set up, and the anxious wheelchair recipients began to filter in to receive their brand new wheelchairs for free. More than 550 wheelchairs were given away that morning and every single wheelchair carried in it an elated recipient and a touching story. Perry shared one of his stirring stories, "As we were distributing the wheelchairs an older lady motioned to me and called me over and spoke to me in Spanish. I felt helpless because I couldn't speak Spanish, but there was a Rotarian there that spoke Spanish and he translated for me. She went on to explain that she was in bed for a couple of years and was not able to get out. It was the first time she had been out of her house and it was her first time in the wheelchair. She just kept thanking me for all that was being done. She said, 'You're an angel. God has a special place for you in heaven.' I started to get choked up as the translator told me what she was saying. It touched me and it changed my life." Chris Frye, President of the Oakland Sunrise Rotary Club, recounted a memorable moment he had, "After this 8 year old boy was finished getting his picture taken with the four Past Presidents of Rotary International, he grabbed on to both wheels and jetted out of the line. It was such an exciting thing to see the expression on this kid's face. He had been immobile his entire life. The joy in knowing that he could now get from point A to point B in X number of seconds on his own. He was a kid and he could be a kid now. He could be as normal as anyone else now that he had his individual mobility. It was remarkable!" Rotarians all around the world are making a difference in the fight against immobility and are witnessing first-hand the impact a wheelchair can have. Perry said, "Never does it feel so good to be a Rotarian than when you can experience first-hand the end result of the hard work of so many. You only have to look into the faces of these men, women and children unable to transport their own fragile bodies, to know that every effort we made was well spent."