Invacare’s first annual Move for Mobility, in partnership with Free Wheelchair Mission, was a global fundraising initiative that inspired hundreds of employees to get out and be active within their communities.

Making Life’s Experiences Possible® became a focus during the Move for Mobility campaign. Our employees participated in various activities, including horse riding, surfing, mountaineering, yoga, and marathons.

425 Invacare employees from 20 countries signed up for the campaign and raised over $28k. Funding one wheelchair costs $96. With Invacare’s fundraising, 294 wheelchairs from Free Wheelchair Mission will be provided to people with disabilities in under-resourced countries, helping to transform lives through the gift of mobility and enabling them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

Geoff Purtill, our Invacare’s President and CEO, spent the last week in the Dominican Republic distributing wheelchairs with Free Wheelchair Mission and said:

“The Move for Mobility global fundraiser was a very successful effort of the Invacare team. This campaign illustrates our company’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion across communities worldwide.”

Geoff visited communities with team members from the charity, assembling and distributing wheelchairs in remote areas with Free Wheelchair Mission’s local partner El Buen Samaritano Hospital. He added, “Our work in the Dominican Republic was awe-inspiring and an amazing opportunity to see the impact of giving mobility to those in need. Many of the wheelchair recipients were in the bateyes with very few facilities, and these wheelchairs will help in Making Life’s Experiences Possible for the recipients and their families.”

“There was an overwhelming sense of gratitude from the recipients that makes one realise how much we in the developed countries take for granted. Free Wheelchair Mission has a great program for giving back, and Invacare commits to supporting their efforts long into the future.”

For over five years, Invacare has shared its technical skills and expertise to help with the research, design, and production of cost-effective wheelchairs for Free Wheelchair Mission.

Nuka Solomon, CEO of Free Wheelchair Mission, said:

“We are grateful and proud of the strong partnership we’ve developed with Invacare over the past few years and were excited to see their teams moving in May to help us raise funds and awareness to provide wheelchairs to those who are waiting for them. 

“It was an honour for me to work alongside Geoff in the Dominican Republic earlier this month. Together, we distributed more than 60 wheelchairs from Free Wheelchair Mission to people who were waiting for them. I look forward to continuing our collaboration to bring wheelchairs to communities with no access to mobility solutions.”