TORONTO, Jan. 12 /CNW/ – Today, Toronto Fire Fighters joined Rick Hansen and the Man in Motion Foundation to help raise awareness of spinal cord injury (SCI) and related disabilities in communities around the country. The event included a Wheelchair Skills Challenge at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to demonstrate the obstacles that Canadians living with SCI and related disabilities face every day.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the level of participation today between Toronto Fire Fighters, Toronto Police and Scotiabank,” said Rick Hansen, President and CEO of the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation. “The goal of the Man in Motion Foundation is to make all communities accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. We need to de-mystify the wheelchair, where little obstacles can be a big challenge. There is a long way to go especially building more corporate partnerships to fund research that will ultimately find a cure for spinal cord injury.”
Rick Hansen was joined by Toronto Fire Fighters Travis Mathews, Lorne Millar, Jason Eyers, Gerlando Peritore, Mike Langford and Kevin Doherty.
“We are glad that we are able to help increase public awareness about spinal cord injury, and the importance of making accessible and inclusive communities for people living with disabilities,” said Kevin Doherty, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association. “The different teams that participated today had an opportunity to experience the day-to-day challenges that people in wheelchairs must face, such as carrying a glass of water, transporting groceries and putting out the garbage.”
For more information about the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, visit www.rickhansen.com.
