Tears flow over theft of 34 specialized wheelchairs
When 11-year-old Chelsea Seib and her mother Heather Kuttai heard that all of her basketball team’s specialized wheelchairs were suspected stolen, they broke down in tears.
An able-bodied athlete whose mom has used a wheelchair for 41 years, Seib was one of many youngsters affected by the suspected theft of a trailer from the 500 block of Cynthia Street over the weekend. Between $200,000 and $250,000 worth of wheelchair basketball equipment was inside, including 34 specialized wheelchairs worth about $4,000 each, designated for the Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association (SWSA) NRG Mini Wheelchair basketball program.
“When we heard the news, we were heartbroken. There’s no other word,” Kuttai said on Tuesday at the SWSA offices, located in the JVR Administration Centre in Saskatoon’s Airport Business Area.
Her daughter plays both wheelchair and standup basketball.
“As a longtime disability activist I was heartbroken, because this program and the people who run it provide the most excellent example of inclusion and integration that there is,” she said. “Half of the kids on the team have disabilities, half don’t — more or less — but when they’re on the court in wheelchairs, the playing field is level. Everybody is the same and the goal is the same: to get better and sharpen those skills and to have a really great time.”
On Tuesday, Saskatoon police confirmed they had received a report about the theft, noting that although information is preliminary, it’s believed the trailer was stolen between Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Monday at 1 p.m.
Staff at the SWSA realized the trailer — a 2006 Royal Trailer with Saskatchewan licence plate 859 HDN — was missing on Monday afternoon.
Chantal Gosselin, the organization’s Bridging the Gap provincial co-ordinator, said a combination of panic and heartbreak set in when they found the trailer wasn’t in its usual spot. She said the theft will affect athletes across Saskatchewan, as the program also loans out the chairs to kids in rural communities.
All that remained on Tuesday were a few wooden blocks.
The organization is “hoping for the best,” said Joelle Buckle, the program’s head coach.
“For a lot of these kids, it’s their only physical activity,” she said. “The thing is, whoever took it, they’re not going to be able to sell it or get that money out of it, so we’re hoping that they could just give it back to us. To them, it would mean nothing, but to us and to the kids, it means the world.”
SWSA executive director Andrea Muir noted the building itself was hit by a break-in last November. She said she’d like security cameras installed, since the building is in an isolated location.
“There’s definitely criminal activity in this area,” she said. “I’m scared to come here at night.”
She’s now checking with nearby businesses that have surveillance equipment to see if any video of the suspected theft is available.
Karen Fradette, who was acting as a building spokesperson on Tuesday, said lighting around the JVR Administration Centre was increased after the break-in last year and building staff will now review security measures and examine further options.
Delynne Bortis, client service coordinator with Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan Inc., which helps connect people with mobility challenges to supports and services, said she can’t recall another instance of theft at this level, noting the thieves took more than equipment.
“They’ve taken away independence. They’ve taken away their social lives. They’ve taken away their ability to play a sport,” she said, adding she hopes the alleged thieves do the right thing and return the chairs.
The SWSA hopes to raise $150,000 through an online fundraising effort to help with recovery costs.
People interested in donating can contribute to the fundraiser, which is titled “NRG Wheelchair Basketball Team” on the GoFundMe website.