Dear Wheelchair Donor:

Chattanooga Rotary President Paul Neely announced that Sister City Association President Bill Prince will lead a local delegation to Givatayim, Israel, (one of Chattanooga's five sister cities) in December for the delivery of 280 wheelchairs in a project jointly sponsored by these two local organizations along with the Wheelchair Foundation headquartered in Danville, CA. Working with these organizations will be the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and Sister Cities of Givatayim, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Wheelchairs in five different sizes appropriate for each child and adult will be given to recipients who could not otherwise afford them providing mobility, hope, independence and dignity to those with a physical need for one. Children can go to school or out to play and adults can go to a job and help support their families without being totally dependent on others for mobility.

Funding for this project is being provided by grants of $5,000 each from Chattanooga Rotary and Rotary District 6780 along with donations from individual Rotarians and non-Rotarians of $11,000. The total cost approximates $150 per wheelchair or $42,000 with the balance being provided by the Wheelchair Foundation. Additional donations are currently being received toward a second shipboard container of 280 chairs. Those wishing to participate may download a donation form from the Chattanooga Rotary webpage. As shown on the form, all donations should be in the form of a check payable to the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga and designated for the wheelchair project. The expansion of this project, which began as a small effort by Rotary's World Community Service Committee in 2002, was put on hold to allow the successful completion of a $75,000 fund raising campaign in support of Rotary International's Polio Plus program for the eradiction of polio worldwide. Shortly after Frank Brock became Rotary President in July, 2003, he was considering what should be done with a fund given to Rotary in 1986 for a project in memory of Rabbi Abraham Feinstein, a Rotarian and leader for many years of the Mizpah Congregation, when he was approached by a committee member about expanding the project. Brock suggested combining the existing fund with the Feinstein Fund into one challenge grant subject to the committee raising a matching amount. As promised by Rotary when it accepted the Feinstein donation this wheelchair project is dedicated in honor and memory of Rabbi Feinstein who served his congregation for over fifty years and was honored by being elected Rabbi for Life. Rabbi Feinstein was instrumental along with Frank Brock's father W. E. Brock, and other community leaders of both races in the effort in the sixties to achieve school desegregation in a peaceful manner.

Should you have any questions please contact one of the undersigned or consult www.wheelchairfoundation.org. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Archie Meyers, ChairmanSam Miles, Chairman
World Community Service CommitteeWheelchair Project
archie2@direcway.coms.milesjr@comcast.net

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A DONATION FORM