Story, Photos & Video by Don Backman
“I’m over the top excited about David’s Chair being here.” Rockaway Beach Mayor, Charles McNeilly told the small crowd who braved the cold, wet weather to attend the dedication of the newest David’s Chair location. “We are a community that thrives on equitable access to the outdoors.”
Rockaway Beach now has a Daviid’s Chair available for checkout. Based at Saint Mary’s By the Sea, the tracked, electric powered chair promises to provide access to the beach to those who previously could not reach it. When someone wants to use a David’s Chair, they can go to the website Davidschair.org and sign up for the location. A reservation usually takes five to seven days, so the request needs to be made in advance of the desired date.
“I want to thank the David’s Chair organization for thinking of Rockaway Beach,” McNeilly added. “I want to thank the church for providing a safe place for the chair, and I particularly want to lift up our city manager, Luke Shepard, who embraced this from the beginning and worked diligently to make this happen. I also want to thank Mary Mertz and Bill Hassel for taking on the task of coordinating those of us here who have raised our hand to volunteer.”
“We have been working with the church, the city, and the volunteer corp here,” Jeff Kallevig, Operations Manager for Northwest Oregon for David’s Chair, said. “David’s Chair will partner with, well, just about anybody to provide electric, all terrain tracked chairs that are available for use free of charge.”
“The way we partner with communities is we need a place to house the chair, we need volunteers to administer the chair, and we do need some financial support,” Kallevig explained. “The City of Rockaway Beach is providing the funding we need and Saint Mary’s by the Sea is housing the chair.”
“You know the ocean is powerful and it’s a great place to be, and when you see people who have never been able to access it, or haven’t for a long time, it’s pretty amazing,” explained Steve Furst, Founder and CEO of David’s Chair. Founded in 2017, David’s chair now has chairs in 17 locations. The website at davidschair.org, explains “Because of donations given by grants, sponsors, and generous individuals, David’s Chair has taken people and their families on exciting outdoor excursions at locations that are inaccessible to regular wheelchairs.”
“Each chair costs $16,000 to $17,000,” Steve Furst explained. “We also get extra belts and harnesses because they wear out. A shed costs around $5,500 and the total is usually around $22,000 to $25,000.”
Rockaway Beach is the newest of an expanding list of locations. Now, a person can make a reservation to reserve a David’s Chair for when they visit the beach.
The non-profit organization can always use more sponsors, donors, and grants. Also, the volunteer group can use more volunteers and donations. You can contact the City of Rockaway Beach for contact information, or reach out directly to Mary Mertz, Volunteer Coordinator.
