July 2, 2014

White Dog and The White Dog Army

Wonderful World Wednesday

White Dog and her siblings know well the miracle a wheelchair provides for people who have difficulties with mobility. I use a wheelchair outside of our home; without it my world would be very limited and WDA adventures would mostly take place without me. Imagine being homebound because you cannot walk any true distance p or being denied the beauty of flowers blooming at the park because they are inaccessible due to your handicap.

I am fortunate because I live in a country that is wealthy and I am blessed to have decent health insurance. In many parts of the world, a wheelchair is a luxury, unaffordable and scarce in availability. And this is the case, too, for many of the disenfranchised in the US.

Think how the world would open up and become more wonderful if suddenly, magically, blessedly, a wheelchair showed up on the doorstep for a disabled person in these situations.

An 11-year old boy saw the incredible power of such a gift and has gone about personally making it happen for hundreds. Join us as we applaud this young hero…

Boy's Charity Lemonade Stand Has Donated 330 Wheelchairs To People In Need

Huffington Post  | By Kimberly Yam  Posted: 07/02/2014 10:11 am EDT Updated: 07/02/2014 10:59 am EDT

Most children are concerned with only the simpler things in life, leaving the tough stuff for grown-ups.

But Zack Francom, 11, is not your ordinary child. The Provo, Utah, kid launched a charitable lemonade stand when he was 6 years old. Now, having just finished its fourth year, it has raised enough money to buy 332 wheelchairs for people in developing countries.

After Zack's school held a fundraiser challenging each class to raise $86 to buy a wheelchair for people with disabilities who couldn't afford one, he was inspired to create his own charity initiative, Deseret News reported.

He created Zack’s Shack, a namesake lemonade stand, that runs over one weekend annually and raises money that is donated to LDS Philanthropies. The organization, which had also been the donation channel for his school, then sends the wheelchairs to 55 different countries such as Guatemala, where a wheelchair may cost more than a year’s salary.

"I know people in wheelchairs," he told Deseret News, "and it's sad when they don't have one. They can't move, and they're not respected when they don't have one."

Zack’s Shack sells lemonade for 50 cents a cup and cookies at a two for $1. The simple lemonade stand’s success has inspired Zack to dream even bigger. He told People.com that he would love to see other kids expand his idea into other states and actually visit the people he's helping.

"My goal is to fly around the world someday and hand out the wheelchairs," he said.