Kolbe kids set the wheels in motion

07 Nov 2013

By The Record

Kolbe Catholic College students with Bob from Wheelchairs for Kids, a non-profit charity that builds wheelchairs for the underprivileged.  PHOTO: Leanne Joyce
Kolbe Catholic College students with Bob from Wheelchairs for Kids, a non-profit charity that builds wheelchairs for the underprivileged. PHOTO: Leanne Joyce

On October 30, a number of Kolbe Catholic College students from Rockingham visited Br Ollie Pickett’s Wheelchairs for Kids warehouse in Wangara.

The Rice House student leaders for 2014 presented a cheque for $1,793 on behalf of all the Rice House students from Kolbe.

The money will cover the costs of making 12 wheelchairs.

During their time at the warehouse, one of the volunteers, Bob, showed the students the process of making the wheelchairs.

The Wheelchairs for Kids volunteers make about 300 wheelchairs every month.

These wheelchairs are then sent around the world to underprivileged countries where disabled children do not have access to wheelchairs.

Since its humble beginnings in 1998, Wheelchairs for Kids has built and donated almost 26,000 wheelchairs.

There are more than 100 volunteers who assist in the production of the wheelchairs in WA.

Most of the volunteers machine, assemble, control quality, box the wheelchair components and load the boxes into sea containers.

Others make cushion covers, rugs and knitted toys to accompany  the wheelchairs to their final destination.

With no salaries to pay, nor administrative costs or vehicles to maintain, all money donated to Wheelchairs for Kids is used for production purpose