Tabs for Wheelchairs celebrates milestone

St. Boniface

St. Vital

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This article was published 28/06/2023 (1064 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Twenty-five years, 50-plus wheelchairs, millions of tabs, and countless smiles. On one level, Tabs for Wheelchairs is a numbers game — in the best possible way.

This year, the local fundraising initiative is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The concept is simple. Individuals, groups and organizations collect tabs from drink cans to help raise money for specialized wheelchairs for youngsters.

“It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to be a part of Tabs for Wheelchairs,” said its founder and co-ordinator Gwen Buccini, reflecting on reaching the quarter-century mark. “I thank everyone who has joined us over the last 25 years and made it possible to have collected over 350 million tabs and presented — as of this month — 54 specialized wheelchairs.”

The St. Vital resident started the campaign in 1998 when she was a teacher at Holy Cross School, and she’s continued to dedicate her time and energy to the cause since her retirement. Tabs for Wheelchairs now has the support of 182 schools, 275 groups and companies, and hundreds of individuals throughout the city and province, Buccini said.

On June 22, the St. Boniface-based school (300 Dubuc St.) played host to Tabs for Wheelchairs’ latest presentation, when two specialized wheelchairs — the 53rd and 54th — were presented to this year’s recipients.

Bernard Rosello received a Top End Pro custom-built basketball wheelchair designed for athletes; he plays for Team Manitoba under the umbrella of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association. As well, Hayden Smith received an ultralight manual wheelchair. Next year’s wheelchair recipient — Kyrie Brinkman — was also introduced at the event, which community members were welcome to attend.

To date, 28 of the wheelchairs have been donated through the collection of tabs, and the other 26 have been made possible due to the generosity of people making monetary donations to the cause — in certain cases, anonymously.

“Never would I have ever thought that this was even possible when I started the program in the winter of 1998,” Buccini said.

“All those who save tabs can be very proud that they are part of this program, as they have made a huge and lasting difference in the lives of so many,” she added. “It has been a wonderful gift, as well, to meet so many caring and dedicated people through this program.”

As well as benefiting from the support of so many in the community through the years, Buccini used to enjoy being helped by her son, Anthony, who was her “main man” when it came to helping her sort the volumes of tabs.

Sorting the tabs helped give Anthony — who had special needs — a sense of purpose and it was something he felt good about doing. It was also an activity the pair could do together, and part of Anthony’s reward for a job well done was a little treat from Tim Hortons.

Anthony died in June 2017, two days before the 19th anniversary edition of the Tabs for Wheelchairs assembly.

And after these years, the physical handover of a specialized wheelchair to its grateful recipient remains something that’s close to Buccini’s heart.

“For me, personally, presenting the wheelchair is my greatest joy. To see the recipient’s face light up and their family so happy is everything to me,” Buccini said, adding everyone leaves the assemblies “with a warm feeling in their heart.”

Email tabsforwheelchairs@hotmail.com for more information.