$1,600 was raised during the 12-hours, enough for 11 or 12 wheelchairs
Published in the May 14-27 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Photo by Lori McIntosh
Matthew McGregor, left, and Murray Kornelson, in wheelchair, help raise money for the Wheelchair Foundation at the annual fundraiser at Live Oak High School. Both are 10th graders at Oakwood High School.
Twelve hours. That’s the amount of time about 150 students spent at Live Oak High School last month in a marathon being pushed in wheelchairs around the campus track to raise money for people who need wheelchairs but are unable to purchase them.
The ninth annual event was put on by Interactors, high school Rotary Club members involved with the Interact group, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 26, said Tyler Sadoff, a Live Oak senior who was a co-organizer of the fundraiser with fellow Live Oak senior Joshua Toch. Money was raised by a general admission fee that all participating students paid as well as some people paying $150 to purchase a wheelchair through The Wheelchair Foundation.
“We raised a total of $1,600,” Sadoff said. “With the money we raised, we will be able to get 11 or 12 wheelchairs that will be sent out to people who are in need of them in Third World countries and anywhere in the world where people need wheelchairs.”
Some students stayed the entire 12 hours of the fundraiser, entertained by Top 40 music being broadcast from speakers as well as activities including a water balloon fight on the football field, volleyball, capture the flag, tug of war and a bean sack race. The students enjoyed pancakes in the morning and hamburgers and hot dogs for a picnic lunch.
“It was a good fun atmosphere,” Sadoff said. “I feel like making a positive impact is a very nice thing to be able to provide for people in need.”
The annual wheelchair marathon fundraiser helps students raise money as well as increase their awareness of wheelchair-bound people, said David De La Cuesta, a member of the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill and an Interact organizer. Many handicapped people in impoverished regions of the world spend their lives crawling or being carried. Some stay much of their lives in dark back rooms. The wheelchairs go free of charge to children and adults in need and empower them to become mobile and self-sufficient, increasing their self-esteem and ability to be more active, De La Cuesta said.
“These chairs are life changing,” he said. “The look on these people’s faces, it’s amazing how it effects these kids when they see how tough it is in other countries and it makes them feel great.”
The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2000 by Danville real estate developer Ken Behring. The foundation partners with donors such as individuals, groups and companies to provide wheelchairs to people who need them but cannot afford them, mostly in developing nations. The organization has delivered more than 750,000 wheelchairs to people in need in 150 nations.
Most of the students involved with the wheelchair marathon are juniors and seniors active with the Interact clubs at Live Oak, Sobrato, Central and Oakwood high schools. Morgan Hill residents Dan Newquist and Jan Bergkamp helped them organize the event.
“The kids love it,” De La Cuesta said. “It’s pretty exciting and gratifying to see 14, 15, 16, and 17 year olds spending their Saturday together, just doing this event. And they want to do it every year. They basically get a good feeling out of it.”
How To Donate
People who might like to help in the fundraiser for wheelchairs can donate to the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill Endowment, by mailing a check to P.O. Box 283, Morgan Hill, California 95037 or call David De La Cuesta at (408) 221-6158.
