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Individual Programs

Endow-a-Chair
Four years ago an Achilles wheelchair member from the Dominican Republic showed up at the starting line of the New York City Marathon sitting on what looked like a large skate board.  He told us that his wheelchair couldn't go 26 miles.  At the same time, several contributors to Achilles wanted to direct their donations to specific programs.  From this star-crossed opportunity emerged the concept for "Endow-a-Chair." 

Last year, 31 wheelchairs were presented and nobody used a skate board.  At an annual Achilles press event, the wheelchairs with the name of the contributor on the back are distributed to Achilles athletes

Funds are used to purchase sports wheelchairs at a cost of $1,500 each.

Donations are tax-deductible.
Checks should be made out to Achilles.

Examples
Fran Brown, whose son Alan uses a wheelchair, has donated three wheelchairs distributed by lottery in each of the preceeding years. 

Zoe Koplowitz made a presentation at Poly Prep in Brooklyn and students responded by raising money for two sports wheelchairs.   Achilles matched Poly Prep with a member of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Kingston, NY who has been in a wheelchair since he was 12 years old.  The presentation of one of the wheelchairs to Michael Inglese resulted in a Daily News article and Michael's second NYC Marathon.

Alisa Fastenberg, Freddie Weiner, Mike Rosenberg, Edward Fox, Mary Bryant, Scott Cynamon, Mark Swartz, et al. each donated funding to Achilles to purchase sports wheelchairs for our international members.

Assist marathoners with disabilities
The Achilles Track Club, a worldwide organization that encourages people with disabilities to run with the general public, will sponsor over 300 hundred of runners with disabilities to compete in the New York City Marathon.  Running/walking is accessible, inexpensive, breaks down barriers, enhances health, a life-long activity, and is inspirational.  People who had difficulty negotiating the distance between lamp posts often wind up doing marathons.  Achilles provides support, training, encouragement, community, opportunity, and technical expertise to runners with disabilities at all levels.

You can help by pledging one dollar or more per mile to the AchillesTrack Club for each mile of the marathon a selected Achilles athlete completes. Friends, relatives, and employers may be willing to match your pledge.  Give them the challenge.

Funds collected will be used:
   ---to Purchase Sports Wheelchairs, @ $1,500 ea.*
   ---to Sponsor an International Achilles Marathon
       Athlete, @ $500 ea.
   ---for Running Programs for Disadvantaged Children
       with Disabilities

*If you pledge $1,000 for a wheelchair, that wheelchair will be presented in the name of the donor.

Achilles promotes the idea that running should be enjoyable regardless of disabilities. "Mainstreaming," encouraging the disabled to run in events with able-bodied runners, is our goal;  people "doing the most they can" is our philosophy.  Most importantly, Achilles encourages people who want to run for pure enjoyment regardless of time, speed, or ability.

Founded in l983 in New York, Achilles has expanded into forty-four chapters in the United States and over one hundred and twenty chapters in over forty countries --- including Bulgaria, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Algeria, Kenya, Venezuela, Norway, Mongolia, Japan, Nigeria, Ecuador, Russia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Lebanon, and South Africa.

Donations are tax-deductible.