Rebel Wheelers set to roll in major fundraiser this weekend
Wheelchair athletes have invited able-bodied people to roll with them and experience the thrill of wheelchair sports this weekend as part of a major fundraiser.
The Rebel Wheelers group in Cork, who are reigning national champions in both wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, will host about 20 business and community groups who have signed up take part in its annual fundraising sports event in Neptune Stadium on Sunday.
But they said they have room for more teams as they continue their fundraising efforts to buy new equipment for the club which now caters for more than 70 members.
Orla O’Brien, from Rebel Wheelers, said the organisation is 100% driven by parents and club members.
“And we are very grateful for the support of the business community,” she said.
“We don’t receive any Government funding, and all of our funding comes from donations.
"The chairs used by the wheelchair athletes can cost at least €1,500, which means that getting kids onto the court can be prohibitively expensive without support like that we are getting on Sunday.”
Rebel Wheelers was founded in 2008 by five families who were frustrated at the lack of opportunity for their children to get involved in sport.
More than a decade later, the club now caters for over 70 athletes with a physical disability, aged from five up to adulthood, giving them the opportunity to participate in sport.
Its Saturday morning club introduces children to sport in a fun and safe environment and the club fields teams in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, and it has a hugely successful athletics group who are competing at national and international level.
The group’s issued a particular appeal to Cork’s business and sporting community, to get involved in Sunday’s event, and for longer-term support to help take them to the next level.
She praised Little Island-based business, Sea Box Energy Group, which has stepped up as main sponsor for the Neptune Stadium event. She said their support is a godsend for Rebel Wheelers.
“We can’t thank Sea Box Energy Group enough for its generosity,” she said.
“It is such a boon to us to have such support on the day, meaning we can concentrate on fundraising for the future.
"That is exactly the type of corporate support we will need in order to expand Rebel Wheelers and cater for more children,” she said.
Rebel Wheelers are still looking for corporate teams to sign up, even at this late stage. For more information, or to take part in the event, companies can email rebelwheelers@gmail.com.
Its fundraising day comes ahead of International Disability Day on December 3.
