ASHLAND, Ore. – Local nonprofit, David’s Chair is announcing its newest location with an available multi-terrain track chair for those with mobility issues; and it’s in the Rogue Valley, at Lithia Park in Ashland.
Wheelchair user, Michael Maag said, “We do not live in a world that is built for people on wheels, this overcomes that for us.”
David’s Chair is a nonprofit organization that aims to help mobility-impaired people engage in the outdoors in ways they normally couldn’t. They have wheelchairs available in multiple places throughout Oregon, most notably on the coast.
The non-profit’s CEO and founder, Steve Furst said,
“I think the biggest thing is the fact we’ve done all this growing throughout Oregon, but we haven’t done a good job of being in our backyard, so being able to have a chair in Ashland is amazing and Lithia Park, as you look around, is so beautiful.”
Furst said the process is simple. To reserve the chair all you need to do is go to the David’s Chair website, reserve at the Ashland location and fill out some forms sent to you over email. Furst continued, “Once you picked your time and date, you’ll be contacted, and we’ll have a volunteer who will meet you here and get you out on your journey on these beautiful, amazing trails.”
It all started from Furst’s high school friend, David Hartrick. He was diagnosed with ALS, and he loved the outdoors. Before Hartrick passed in 2018, he wanted track chairs to be available for people who faced similar challenges as him, so they have the opportunity to be in the outdoors. Maag said,
“There is something very important, not to be woo, but to connect to nature. This gives an opportunity to a whole population from whom this has been restricted, right? Just because of the situation.”
Michael Maag will be one of the first users of the track chair in Ashland. He had a spinal cord injury years ago and is paralyzed in the lower half of his body. Maag has used the track chairs in Newport, but being an Ashland resident, he’s excited for the freedom it will provide him at home. Maag continued,
“This is a beautiful park, and I really do miss being able to go along the trails and find those just subtle little spots where its quiet, you’re next to the water, the leaves are beautiful any time of year. So, I’m just really excited about the opportunity to be able to get out there and just get in the chair and relax.”
David’s Chair is also holding its big fundraiser next month, October 18th and 19th. On the 19th it will be held at the Jackson County Expo, in the Olsrud Arena.
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