New Wheel:Life Book Is Full of Fund-Raising Ideas

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Jan 21, 2014

Maybe you’re looking for an upgrade to a wheelchair that will open the door to greater freedom and independence.

Or you’re a parent who knows a backup chair for your child would make traveling a lot more convenient.

You believe you could benefit from additional rehabilitation. Or you’ve got a great concept for a project that could benefit a lot of people.

What do all of these ideas have in common? They all need funding to get them off the ground.

And funding is not easy to come by in today’s world. Insurance companies and healthcare providers continue to cut their budgets. Service organizations and charitable foundations receive more requests for help than they can answer. Family and friends can only reach into their pockets a limited number of times due to their own expenses.

When traditional funding sources can't or won't help, you might think about trying to raise the money yourself. But where and how should you start? What sorts of ideas, strategies and activities work?

A new resource from Wheel:Life can provide ideas and advice to help consumers looking to create successful fund-raising projects.

The book is called 10 Fundraiser Ideas to Help People with Disabilities, and it features case studies of real-life successful fund-raising projects.

Among the contributors to the book are Paralympian Bert Burns, founder of UroMed, a well-known urological supplies company. Burns discusses how he raised funds to start his wheelchair racing career.

Other contributors to the book are Leslie Ostrander, a Project Walk Atlanta participant who raised money to fund additional rehab services, and the creators of Hunter’s Torch Daylily Garden, which sells daylilies as fundraising resource for a boy named Hunter with special needs.

"Within the book, readers will discover brainstorming ideas for different types of fundraiser events to benefit an individual with a disability who needs financial assistance for medical equipment, physical rehabilitation, adaptive sports equipment or daily medical needs," says Lisa Wells, the book's author and the director of Wheel:Life.

The book can be purchased as a Kindle download for $1.99, but people with disabilities can also request a free copy of the book by clicking HERE.

Wheel:Life publications are sponsored by the organization's sponsors, including At Home Medical, Medtrade, Sports 'N Spokes, Hollister Inc., Cure Medical and Invacare Corp.

Wheel:Life describes itself as a global initiative that assists people in addressing the many questions and challenges that come with using a wheelchair.