The WWRC Foundation will host a free exhibit of classic and antique cars from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, on the grounds at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. The show will feature vehicles with assistive technology for drivers with disabilities as well as more than 35 vintage cars from five local clubs, including Corvair, Corvette, Model A, Mustang, and the Waynesboro-Staunton Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America.
The Car Show will premiere a vehicle that the WWRC Foundation recently purchased for the Center’s driving program. This car has been up-fitted with six different types of hand controls, allowing individuals with spinal cord injuries or other forms of lower body paralysis to find the best fit for their needs as a driver. The WWRC Foundation purchased the car and its equipment with a $34,460 Quality of Life Grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
WWRC Foundation executive director Rebecca Lamb says, “The driving program at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center gives Virginians with disabilities a chance to do something that many take for granted—the ability to drive to work. We were so fortunate that the Neilsen Foundation believed in this program and provided such a generous grant.”
Currently, there is a four-month waiting period to enroll in the Center’s driving program which is provided free of charge to clients from across the state. The new vehicle, and related grant funds for additional instructor hours, will significantly reduce the waiting list for the driving program, allowing Virginians with disabilities to gain independence and transportation to work.
The Car Show is designed to not only raise funds for the driving program through exhibitor registration fees, but will also engage student’s from the WWRC Auto Mechanics training program as judges.
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is a private foundation located in Encino, California, that is dedicated to supporting cutting-edge research and life enhancing programs for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Their Quality of Life Grants support innovative rehabilitation and recreation programs as well as independent living and educational opportunities that improve the life of people living with spinal cord injuries throughout the United States and Canada.
The WWRC Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1960 to provide funds and resources that support vocational rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. For additional information, visit www.wwrcf.org or call 540-332-7452.
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