Santa Claus received some early assistance from 12 members of the Utah Automobile Dealers Association who wanted to help Utah’s children with special needs. These businesses generously donated 103 Pumper Cars to school districts across the state. The bright red, durable cars look like toys, but are actually mobility devices that help children with special needs develop motor skills, coordination, and balance—and enjoy physical education.
Chris Kupfer, federal programs director for Garfield School District in southern Utah, expressed gratitude for the remarkable collaborative donation: “This is an opportunity we wouldn’t have had if someone hadn’t stepped up and offered it to us.”
This past year, Utah auto dealerships Rob Droubay Chevrolet, Mark Bradshaw Chevrolet, and Stephen Wade Toyota got the ball rolling by making the initial contributions of Pumper Cars to schools. Now 12 of their colleagues are contributing these cars to schools around the Beehive State. They include Nate Wade Subaru, Seiner Chevrolet, Brad Strong Volkswagen, Blake Strong Audi and Porsche, Tim Dahle Nissan, Chris Wilson Nissan, Larry H. Miller Family Foundation, Garff Family Foundation, and Craig Bickmore of the New Car Auto Dealership of Utah.
One of the car dealers who participated in this program was Kirk Schneider of Nate Wade Subaru. He said, “Kids with special needs use these Pumper Cars and it has a really positive effect on lives, not only on their physical strength but on their self-esteem, how they see themselves and how other kids see them.”
We at Mobility for Kids are extremely grateful to all of the dealers throughout Utah who have generously donated Pumper Cars to these children to improve their mobility and confidence. Our goal for 2020 is to begin working with other car dealers around the country to continue the movement that was started in Utah.
For more information about this special donation, we invite you to click on the links below to see the news coverage provided by the television stations Fox 13 and ABC 4 .
