In April this year, 280 wheelchairs will be delivered to Mexico and beyond by District 5170. There are Rotarians from our own Niles Rotary Club that will be going to Mexico to participate in the delivery! This should be a wonderful experience for both the Rotarians doing this special delivery of wheelchairs to Mexico as well as to the recipients who will experience the life altering ability to be more mobile and get around.

The club so far has raised in excess of our original goal and reached (66 wheelchairs) $6,600 so far. If we can reach (80 wheelchairs) $8,000, we will have completely filled a container of wheelchairs just from our club alone!  Can we reach that high before we deliver them?

For every $100 donated by a member of our club or a friend of our club, District 5170 will give $50. For each $150, one wheelchair is delivered! If you would like support this wonderful project, please turn funds into our club with checks written to ‘Niles Rotary’.  For any additional information about either donating or actually participating in the delivery of these wheelchairs, please contact Niles Rotary International Chairperson Audrey Kearns by e-mail at [email protected] Thank you!

Here is some more information from the District about this project:

Wheelchair Distribution Project

Creating Friendships, Providing Community Service and Mobility to People in Need
Monterrey, Mexico March 30—April 3, 2016

You will never be the same after you have looked into the appreciative eyes of someone whose life you have changed.

Since 2004, Rotarians from District 5170 have worked with Rotarians in Monterrey, Mexico to create something special – a lifetime of friendships, an opportunity to work, side-by-side with the Monterrey Rotarians on community service projects and the ability to personally deliver wheelchairs to those who lack mobility. This year’s trip will provide enduring memories and emotions, but that will be just the beginning of the experience. In addition to delivering wheelchairs and a hands-on service project, those who join us will:

• Explore the sights, sounds, history and cultures of the country visited.
• Visit additional humanitarian sites and projects.
• Build friendships with the people Mexico.

A Return to Monterrey

In 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2015 Rotarians from California, traveled to Monterrey, Mexico to deliver wheelchairs and create new friendships. We saw the work of Rotary in the communities and visited the homes of local Rotarians, which led to more than 30 completed grants. In 2007, 40 Monterrey Rotarians came to California to enjoy our Rotary hospitality. Over the years the highlights included the opening of the Santa Catarina Red Cross facility created from the partnerships created from these trips. In 2016 we return to further our service. Whether you were a part of the previous trips, hosted the Mexican Rotarians in 2007, or are interested in going for the first time, you are invited to join us to share an extraordinary friendship and sense of purpose with the people of Monterrey.

Service in Comfort

The primary purposes of these trips has been to deliver wheelchairs, perform humanitarian service, and to build strong friendships with the people of Monterrey. Although we will be engaged in humanitarian service, we will travel in great comfort and convenience. We will stay in a deluxe hotel, and will visit many of the most popular and enjoyable areas and sights of Monterrey.

Howard Tours

Howard Tours collaborated with Rotary District 5170, the Wheelchair Foundation, and the Monterrey Rotarians to design this tour. Founded in 1948, and owned and operated by Rotarians, Howard Tours has conducted tours worldwide to eradicate polio, deliver wheelchairs, and provide humanitarian relief for more than three decades.

Howard Tours is a tour company, and not a travel agency; we do not sell to the general public. Instead, we select and purchase the travel services directly from the airlines, hotels, sightseeing companies, etc., and then sell directly to the travelers. As a result, the traveler is ensured the greatest travel value.