David’s Chair Lithia Park Debut – September 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lithia Park Cabin
Ashland Parks and Recreation and David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems (David’s Chair), a 501c3 non-profit organization, are excited to announce the launch of the David’s Chair program in Lithia Park. On Wednesday, September 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., David’s Chair and Parks and Recreation staff will be at the Lithia Park Cabin, 340 S Pioneer St., to demonstrate how David’s Chair will provide access to more areas of Lithia Park for people with mobility challenges.
David’s Chair has provided an electric all-terrain track chair to the City of Ashland so people with mobility challenges can explore areas of Lithia Park. The track chairs that David’s Chair provides for people to use for free gives them access to the great outdoors. These track chairs allow people with mobility challenges to cruise beaches, explore trails, plow through the snow and explore many other places that otherwise would be inaccessible to them. CEO and Founder Steve Furst said, “We are excited to bring adaptive outdoor recreation opportunities to Lithia Park. It is an amazing location with so much beauty that everyone should have the opportunity to explore and enjoy. I am very grateful and thankful for the Ashland Community Health Foundation for providing us a grant to purchase the chair for this program.” This is the first track chair base at a fixed site location in Southern Oregon. “This inclusive project has been an amazing opportunity to work with so many local organizations and it shows how when a community comes together great things can happen,” said Steve Furst.
Contact: Steve Furst, CEO 541.941.6976, email.
See these chairs in action!
"We are heartened that we have the opportunity to make David's Chair a reality in Ashland and enable the beauty of Lithia Park to be enjoyed by many more people. Travel Ashland works to diversify and expand Ashland's visitor base. Together with Ashland Parks and Recreation and the City of Ashland, this is a great example of collaborative asset development that is key to our success as a destination. " said Katharine Cato, Director Travel Ashland.
About David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems
David’s Chair is a 501 C(3) non-profit based in White City, Oregon with a mission to provide people with mobility challenges the free use of electric all-terrain track chairs offering freedom and independence to get outdoors and experience terrain and conditions that would otherwise be unavailable to them. The organization currently has 22 electric all-terrain track chairs and 8 trailers, available in many areas of Oregon and now they have expanded into Washington state, California, Texas and Nevada still for use for free by people with mobility challenges who reserve them at davidschair.org.
How it all started…. David’s Chair got its start in 2017, after Medford resident David Hartrick was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). An avid hunter and fisherman, David immediately began searching for a way to enjoy the outdoors in the confines of a wheelchair. With the help of founder Steve Furst, the pair discovered Action Trackchairs and raised enough money to buy one. David recognized he wouldn’t be able to use it for long and dreamed of others benefiting from the chair as well; shortly after, the non-profit David’s Chair was born.
David passed away on January 11, 2018, just 11 months after his ALS diagnosis. However, David’s Chair continues to give the gift of independence and freedom to people with ALS and other mobility challenges. David’s original Action Trackchair, along with 21 newer chairs have been used by people with mobility challenges to go places and experience freedom they haven’t been able to, free of charge.
All community members and media are welcome to join the David’s Chair Lithia Park Debut, learn more about the program and try out the chair. The David’s Chair reservation program will officially launch on September 23, 2024. Reservations for free use can be made at: davidschair.org.
“We are better together.”
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CONTACT:
Ashland Parks and Recreation
541.488.5340
Email