thedrifter
06-09-09, 07:40 AM
TEMECULA: More wheelchairs donated for Marines
By AARON CLAVERIE - aclaverie@californian.com
TEMECULA ---- More injured U.S. Marines are getting some new wheels.
A charity that donated an electric wheelchair to the naval hospital at Camp Pendleton has recently been contacted by numerous residents who have offered to donate their chairs to the hospital. Other have offered to raise money to buy new chairs.
The charity, All From the Heart, supports U.S. soldiers and their families. It announced late last month its plan to donate a chair to the hospital.
In the weeks after the announcement and the donation, All From the Heart board members said they received many e-mails and calls from residents asking how they could help the cause.
Tim Kuzelka, president of the board, said the outpouring of support from the public means the charity will soon donate three more chairs and a scooter to Camp Pendleton.
And calls are still coming in, he said.
"It's beyond comprehension for us," Kuzelka said. "We're really excited about the response we're getting from the community."
Kuzelka said support for the wheelchair program, which started with a chair donated by a local Christian motorcycle club, has crossed all partisan and ideological boundaries.
People who support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who don't have signed up to help injured Marines, he said.
"As a nation, we've learned our lesson," Kuzelka said, referring to the criticism and scorn heaped on soldiers who returned home after the Vietnam War.
One local business that has signed up to support the effort is Wheelchair City in Temecula, which Kuzelka said is helping refurbish the used chairs donated by residents.
One of the main fundraisers for All From the Heart is the annual Temecula Wine & Music Festival. This year's festival again worked with the charity to help support the families of area servicemembers.
Last year's festival helped the charity support more than 70 family members during the nonprofit organization's annual Support Our Troops event in December.
All proceeds from the festival's silent and live auctions benefit All From the Heart.
Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624.
Ellie
By AARON CLAVERIE - aclaverie@californian.com
TEMECULA ---- More injured U.S. Marines are getting some new wheels.
A charity that donated an electric wheelchair to the naval hospital at Camp Pendleton has recently been contacted by numerous residents who have offered to donate their chairs to the hospital. Other have offered to raise money to buy new chairs.
The charity, All From the Heart, supports U.S. soldiers and their families. It announced late last month its plan to donate a chair to the hospital.
In the weeks after the announcement and the donation, All From the Heart board members said they received many e-mails and calls from residents asking how they could help the cause.
Tim Kuzelka, president of the board, said the outpouring of support from the public means the charity will soon donate three more chairs and a scooter to Camp Pendleton.
And calls are still coming in, he said.
"It's beyond comprehension for us," Kuzelka said. "We're really excited about the response we're getting from the community."
Kuzelka said support for the wheelchair program, which started with a chair donated by a local Christian motorcycle club, has crossed all partisan and ideological boundaries.
People who support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who don't have signed up to help injured Marines, he said.
"As a nation, we've learned our lesson," Kuzelka said, referring to the criticism and scorn heaped on soldiers who returned home after the Vietnam War.
One local business that has signed up to support the effort is Wheelchair City in Temecula, which Kuzelka said is helping refurbish the used chairs donated by residents.
One of the main fundraisers for All From the Heart is the annual Temecula Wine & Music Festival. This year's festival again worked with the charity to help support the families of area servicemembers.
Last year's festival helped the charity support more than 70 family members during the nonprofit organization's annual Support Our Troops event in December.
All proceeds from the festival's silent and live auctions benefit All From the Heart.
Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624.
Ellie