Yesterday was the big roll-out for RollUp. And, the venue for their debut was the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.
RollUp is a student-run initiative founded three years ago at Western University that breathes new life into wheelchairs and other mobility devices in partnership with Goodwill Industries.
Dollar Luo is the general manager and she explains the upcycling process.
Luo says many individuals cannot afford a wheelchair because, on average, they cost $2,500.
The head of community partnerships with RollUp is Kyleigh Stubbs, a St. Joseph’s Catholic High School grad who worked last summer and again this spring at STEGH and helped make the connection between the hospital and RollUp.
In 2019, RollUp received the Pillar award for community collaboration. The Pillar Community Innovation Awards, which launched in 2006, celebrates how individuals, organizations and enterprises are investing in positive community impact in the categories of Innovation, Leadership, Impact, Collaboration and Community Choice.
If you would like to donate a device, visit their website at rollupwheelchair.com.
