The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation And Tilt-A-Rack Launch Contest To Win A Free Power Wheelchair For A Person Living With Paralysis

SHORT HILLS, N.J., Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Tilt-A-Rack launched a national contest in which individuals living with paralysis can win a free power wheelchair. The contest is open for submissions now through Jan. 18, 2012.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100511/REEVELOGO)

Entries will be accepted from a person living with paralysis or from a friend or family member of the person who would benefit from the wheelchair.  The entry must include either a 200-word essay with a photo of the person who will be using the wheelchair, or a video less than two minutes in length.  The submission must explain how winning the power wheelchair will improve the health and well-being of the winner and improve his or her ability to give back to family, caregivers, the community or the world. 

The contest is hosted on the Reeve Foundation's website at www.ChristopherReeve.org/chaircontest (please review the official rules).  The winner will be selected by the most number of votes – voting is open to the public.  The prize will be one Jazzy Select 6 joy stick controlled power wheelchair, valued at more than $3,500.  The wheelchair will be awarded directly to the winner.

"For many people living with paralysis, having a quality power wheelchair could make a real difference in their ability to live more comfortably and independently," said Peter Wilderotter, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. "The Foundation is pleased to support Tilt-A-Rack, a company that has been so generous to the paralysis community, in hosting this contest.  I encourage all individuals with spinal cord injury who would benefit from this wheelchair to enter the contest and spread the word so that more people will see their stories and cast a vote."

According to a Reeve Foundation study, One Degree of Separation, more than one million people in the U.S. are living with some form of paralysis due to spinal cord injury.  The cost of living for a person with paralysis can be considerable and vary greatly due to the severity of the injury.  Average yearly expenses can range from $334,170 to $1,023,924 in the first year alone, and estimated lifetime costs can rise over $4.5 million for a 25-year old, according to The University of Alabama National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information about spinal cord injury, visit www.ChristopherReeve.org.

About the Reeve Foundation
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau's standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB's Charity Seal.  For more information please visit our website at ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation