Blogs

12/21/09

Alternatives in Motion, receives a $25,000 donation from The Cheesecake Factory based in Calabasas Hills, CA.

In lieu of gifts to his managers, The Cheesecake Factory CEO and Chairman of the Board, Mr. David Overton wanted to benefit one U.S. charity this holiday season. Mr. Overton had seen a television show about a retired engineer who was refurbishing wheelchairs and donating them to individuals in need. A web search for more information on this individual kept bringing Jennifer Bispo, Cheesecake Factory Vice President of Staff Relations, to the Alternatives in Motion website where she was impressed by the detailed recipient stories and the effort to get people mobile. Jennifer contacted us by email and three weeks later the decision was made by Mr. Overton to donate $25,000 to Alternatives in Motion. The gift represents over 2,000 managers in The Cheesecake Factory system nation-wide.

At a time where many companies are cutting back on charitable giving, this gift is monumental. “This generous gift signifies that the staff and Board of Directors at Alternatives in Motion are making sound business decisions and doing the right things to move people forward,” said George Ranville, Executive Director of Alternatives in Motion. “We are honored to have a California based company with employees and restaurants around the country support our organization and believe in our mission. This gift will give us much needed financial support to help get people mobile,” Ranville said.

We would like to say thank you to Mr. Overton, Jennifer Bispo, and all of the staff and managers at The Cheesecake Factory who helped make this generous donation possible. Thank you for helping us move people forward!

~
Matt Chapman
Director of Marketing & Special Events

12/3/09

Yesterday George and I had the opportunity to travel to Lansing and make a presentation to the Michigan Commission for Disability Concerns. Our mission for this trip was twofold. First we wanted to make sure the commissioners were aware of Alternatives in Motion and understand why we are a valuable resource for individuals with disabilities. Secondly, we wanted to ask the commission for help in identifying new and gently used mobility equipment around the state of Michigan that can be donated to our organization.

We had a great meeting and the commissioners were very interested and eager to learn more about how we are helping move people forward. Having the ability to talk with representatives from other disability related organizations was a huge step forward for our organization and we are excited for the statewide partnerships we will begin to form.

The meeting was held at the Peckham building near the Lansing Airport. Peckham is an organization that employees thousands of individuals with disabilities. Every employee at Peckham has a story of overcoming obstacles and becoming more successful. Wow, what a facility!

We had a great time presenting to the commission and enjoyed learning more about Peckham as well. We would like to thank Duncan Wyeth, Executive Director, and the 21 commissioners for giving us this great opportunity. Together we will move more people forward!

~
Matt Chapman
Director of Marketing & Special Events

11/17/09

George and I had a great experience on Friday as we delivered a nearly new power wheelchair to 12-year-old Brandi Cole. The video below was shot by WNDU, the local NBC affiliate in South Bend, IN.  

Placements like this are made possible because of the generous support of individuals who share our belief that no one should be limited by their mobility issues. Please help us continue to help individuals like Brandi by making a donation today! 

Click here to read the rest of Brandi's story and see photos from Friday!

~Matt Chapman
Director of Marketing & Special Events

11/09/09

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY APRIL 17, 2010

The leaves are still falling but that’s not stopping us from planning for spring of 2010. Work is underway for the 14^th Annual Wheel Run Together 5 & 10k race. This race brings wheelchair athletes and runners together to raise money for Alternatives in Motion. Each year we are honored to work with the student coordinators from the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at Grand Valley State University. This is the 12^th year students have been raising money for Alternatives in Motion and we are proud to say this event has contributed over $47,000 to our mission.

Mark your calendars for Saturday April 17, 2010 for a great 5k or 10k run around the beautiful Allendale campus of Grand Valley State University. If you’re not into running there is also a 1-mile fun walk or, new this year is the addition of a 5k walk. Bring your kids and tell your friends, this is a great event for all ages.

The cost is $10 for the 1-mile walk, $20 for the 5k or 10k run, and $15 for the 5k walk.
Online registration will begin on January 1, 2010.

Click here if you are interested in sponsoring this event.

We will have more information as we get closer to the event, but for now click here for the official Wheel Run Together page!

~
Matt Chapman
Director of Marketing & Special Events

10/26/09

Wow, where in the world did October go? This morning I came into the office early to review the website and update content, boy was I surprised when I realized my last blog entry was a month old. It has been a busy month; here are a few of the highlights:

October is Marathon Season: This was the fourth year Alternatives in Motion has been an official charity partner for the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. The event, now in it’s sixth year brought over 3,500 runners into Grand Rapids on Sunday October 18^th. Again this year we sold mile marker sponsors with proceeds benefiting Alternatives in Motion. We would like to say thank you to American Seating, Mercantile Bank, West Grand Neighborhood Organization, and Universal Forest Products for purchasing mile markers. We also started a new tradition this year by selling finish line flowers for spectators to purchase for their loved ones. A special thank you goes out to Gail Ranville, Janet Rininger, Lisa Sisson, and Liz Spieker for coordinating the finish line flower sales. We ended up raising approximately $1,850 through our involvements with the marathon and had a great time at this annual event!

Wheelchair Placements & Repairs: When we weren’t tied up with marathon festivities we were back in the office doing what we do best. So far this month we have assisted nine individuals with their unmet mobility needs. As we continue to receive donations of new and gently used equipment we are spending more time making the necessary repairs to keep this equipment in safe working order. On average we spend approximately six hours working on each chair before it is placed. We will be sure to highlight more of these stories in our next newsletter and on the website under wheelchair recipients. 

Wheel Run Together 5k & 10k Race Updates: Mark your calendars for Saturday April 17, 2010 for the 15^th Annual Wheel Run Together 5k & 10k Run. We have been meeting with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Students at GVSU and they are fired up for another great event. We will have sponsorship and registration information available on our website within the next few weeks so stay tuned!

Web Site Upgrades: You may have noticed some downtime or slow load times on the website over the last month. That's because our hosting company has been doing behind the scenes upgrades. Thanks for being patient during these upgrades, if you find something not working on the site please shoot us an email at info@alternativesinmotion.org

Our Earth Friendly Approach to Sustainability: Operating on green principals has been the reason behind the continued success of Alternatives in Motion. In fact, we’ve been running a green operation for the last 15 years. For us, “going green” is not a newly discovered strategy. We have always integrated sustainability principles into our mission as an imperative to stretch donor dollars and keep costs low.

In order for us to accomplish our vision of ensuring mobility for everyone in need, we seek out and rely on donations of high quality used wheelchairs. Click here to see how we are Moving People Forward! 

~Matt Chapman
Director of Marketing & Special Events