Project Wheelchair fundraising dinner renews call for gift of mobility to poor
ON its third year, the Project Wheelchair fundraising dinner is back - bigger and better. This year the dinner will be held at the historic Manila Hotel in its picturesque Champagne Room on November 15th at 6:30 p.m. The multi-course dinner, priced at PHP 3600/dinner guest, will raise funds for Project Wheelchair. All proceeds will go towards funding for wheelchairs for the less fortunate.
We established Project Wheelchair in 2011 to raise awareness for the plight of people with disabilities. We do this by raising funds to provide wheelchairs for under-privileged people with motor disabilities. We realized that one of the most important aspects of improving their quality of life is the access to wheelchairs, because mobility is the bridge to pursuing their dreams whether it is going to school or living a peaceful life in their senior years. Project Wheelchair is inspired by our older sister, Lauren, who had cerebral palsy, and was wheelchair-bound her whole life. After experiencing first-hand the everyday challenge of mobility even with a wheelchair, we could only imagine the difficulty faced by those who could not afford them. According to the Pilipinas Wheel Chair Foundation, "It is estimated that there are 5.8 million Filipinos with physical disabilities requiring a wheelchair." Project Wheelchair aims to provide wheelchairs to people who would otherwise not be able to afford one. Project Wheelchair wheelchairs have been donated to people around the Philippines, including Manila, Cebu, Tacloban, and Cavite. We also give wheelchairs to Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko.
Whenever our family would go to Anilao for scuba diving, Lauren's eyes would light up at the sight of the ocean. For her, it was a dream come true. Being near nature seemed to soothe her soul and made her happier than she ever was in the city. Lauren would laugh and would be enchanted by the colors of the ocean as the boat sped away from the coast and into the sea. She never actually scuba dived, but she was absolutely entranced by the way the water moved and the vibrations of the boat. It was amazing to see how the simplest of things could make her face light up. This love for nature extended to her passion for horseback riding. We used to go horseback riding where she would ride with her favorite horse, Spirit. Together they would ride off across the field, and you could hear her laughter bouncing off the trees.
From personal experience as an equestrienne, that horseback riding is one of the most liberating experiences one can enjoy. Just as the ocean made her feel alive so did horseback riding with Spirit make her feel free.
My sister Lauren was able to enjoy some of the happiest moments of her life because she had the gift of mobility. The same gift that my sister was fortunate to have is what Liyora and I wanted to bestow upon others. One of the recipients is Angeline who has Global Developmental Delay, which impairs her motor skills, including her ability to stand and walk. Angeline was left in an abandoned building as a newborn baby. Hearing the baby's cries, "Lola Tina" was shocked to discover Angeline on the cold cement floor. "Lola Tina" took the baby in and cared for her as if she were her own. Now four years old, Angeline continues to be cared for by "Lola Tina" who has promised to continue to love and care for the baby who was once left alone.
In the same way we were able to help Angeline, we were also able to help a little boy we met in Tacloban in 2014 who was physically handicapped. The young boy's mother had made a makeshift wheelchair out of a plastic chair with its legs cut off. When they saw his new wheelchair for the first time, both he and his mother were relieved to know that life would be much easier now because they finally had a properly functioning wheelchair.
Project Wheelchair gives the gift of mobility because we believe that it is through mobility that people can live more fulfilling lives. Whether one is fortunate or not, the gift of mobility encompasses all dreams and desires, from the transformative experience with nature to the attainment of second chances and renewed hopes. It is then our hope that you join us for our annual fundraising dinner on November 15th 2015, 6 30pm at The Manila Hotel.
Donations of cash and secondhand wheelchairs are most welcome. To reserve seats for the dinner, please email projectwheelchairph@gmail.com or call +63 915 352 6640.