41 ~ Wednesday, February 8, 1989 — North Shore News A SPECIAL FEATURE OF LIFE PROBLEMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF DISABLED PEOPLE Mothers’ March helps the disabled blitz called the Mothers’ March on Polio, raising $143,000. OVER THIRTY five years ago, when British Columbia Kinsmen Clubs rose to meet the communi- ty’s greatest need, they could not have realized the impact their gen- erosity would have on the entire field of rehabilitation. From 1944 to 1955, the greatest need was to help the many victims of the polio epidemic which was ravaging the province. During those years, over 3,000 people in B.C. were affected by the dreaded disease. Some died, many morc were left severely disabled for life. As early as 1944, the Vancouver Kinsmen Club began raising funds to help combat the disease and in 1948 the British Columbia Polio Fund was organized by the provin- cial clubs. The rapid growth of the fund and the obvious need for its con- tinued existence Ied to its formal registration as a charitable society in January, 1952. Today, this society is known as the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foun- dation of British Columbiz. The name change indicates tie change in direction taken when the immediate threat of polio was removed by mass vaccination, much of which was paid for by the Polio Fund. The British Columbia Kinsmen felt the next need was the rehabilitation of post-polic pa- tients, and extended the founda- tion’s mandate to include all the physicaliy disabled, regardless of how they came by their disabilities. In the early days, money for the needs of polio patients was ruised through ‘‘Pennies for Paralysis” coin collectors and mail solicita- tion. In 1953, Kinsmen organized the first province-wide appeal for funds, a one-hour ‘“‘porch light’’ Today, the annual “Kinsmen Mothers’ March campaign involves aver 30,000 volunteers throughout the province, collecting door-to- door in their neighborhoods. Last year, the March raised nearly $2 million to fund the ser- vices provided by the KRF for physically disabled citizens of British Columbia. | Only BC MEDEQUIP aives you sO much choice and value Get power and peace of mind at BC MEDEQUIP. Choose from Invacare, Fortress, Everest & Jexings, Orthokinetics, Sportster...full lines...full choice. Power Chairs Manual Chairs Style-Lite, Kuschall. We have them all. Elevators & Van Lifts We now offer a full selection of elevators and van lifts. Choose from major lines like Cheney, ASG, Ricon, Jure, Braun, Bruno, and Crow River. For more information cal! Don Skelley in Vancouver; Graham Dewhurst in Victoria. Varcouver Main at Sth Ave. 876-4186 Toll Free: 1-800-972-7477 Make your selection from our basic, good value Flite II XL series to state-of-the-art ’80’s chairs. Quickie, Invacare, Canadian, Everest & Jennings, Fortress Racing/Touring Sports Chairs Looking for a custom fit on a state-of-the-art chair? Let Don Alder help you select and custom fit that special chair. Don was Rick Hansen’s wheelchair technician on the ‘Man in Motion World Tour’. At BC MEDEQUIP we're tops in mobility, but we're a lot more, too. We stock hundreds of homecare supply items. There’s diapers, support hose, gioves, back supports and dressings...to, name a few. Coquitlam Lougheed & North Road 421-8801 Come by a and visit us today! White Rock Windsor Square 538-4449 Victoria Wilson Centre Yates & Vancouver 380-1514 Toll Free: 1-800-663-7201 sMatrau?