A Gift to a Legend
Karen Stintz, President & CEO
With a rich history in Scarborough for over 70 years, Variety has been helping people with a disability in many ways. Through education, sport, access to programs and training in Paralympic sports. One of the little known legacies of Variety – the Children’s Charity was the operation of a shop that built prosthetics for children with a disability as a way to increase their mobility. The shop closed many, many years ago but the commitment to help increase mobility for people with a disability remains a priority for Variety. The organization strives to support innovation in mobility products that help bring individuals greater independence.
We have recently been working with Cheelcare Canada on promoting their products, specifically the Companion. The Companion is an innovative electric add-on to any manual wheelchair. The Companion is lightweight, easy to install and can power a wheelchair to 24 kpm for up to 3 hours on one charge. It is also a fraction of the cost of an electric wheelchair, easy to maneuver and covered by the government Assistive Devices Program.
Just last week, Cheelcare Canada’s Board of Director Roy Ellis, along with his wife Mary, donated a Companion to Martha Gustafson, one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians. Variety was pleased to be able to help support the donation as Martha, in addition to being a true champion, has been a long-time member of Variety Village.
If you are in a manual wheelchair, or know someone who is, check out the Companion. It is an elegant solution to power a wheelchair that is very affordable. We look forward to working more closely with Cheelcare to help make sure mobility options are accessible and affordable to those who need them.
Learn about CheelCare’s Companion below: