The chair works perfectly.  The removable handle made transferring in and out a breeze. This chair will also allow us to get to other beach areas otherwise inaccessible; still can't thank you enough.

One of the guys "Chris" mentioned possibly adding a link for CrosswindsConcepts.com to the sponsor page on the waves4all.org website.  Would that be ok?

Also last but not least we would love it if you and Scott could come out to go surf with us sometime; if this is something Scott would be interested in if he's never done it before.  I don't know if you ever get the opportunity to travel this far South but if you do keep Waves4All in mind and come out and be part of our "Waves4All Ohana".

We have specially adapted surfboards for individuals with severe physical challenges. A trained person rides tandem on the back for safety to provide a great experience catching waves.  I included a picture of one of our regulars "Riley" who has cerebral palsy and you can see the special surfboard she rides.

Waves4All meets the last Sunday of every month in Oceanside, CA.  So far the weather has been perfect with no cancellations well into second year now.

Best Regards,

Albert

”Freedom” to once again do what they love to do.

 After being in sales the majority of my adult life, one can have a tendency to get quite burnt out by all the ”No thank you’s” and “Sorry, not at this time”. Yet every now and then there is that one deal you close that justifies all of the negativity you have endured, and that makes it all worthwhile. That was exactly the case with a very special client of mine named Edward Bent Box Sr., or Red Ute as he is known by, in the Ute Indian Community.

Red Ute is a 93-year-old Ute Indian Chief, who like all native Americans has a certain reverence for all things nature, and the spirituality that comes along with it. He is a world-renowned Indian Flute maker for the Ute Indian Tribe, and now located in North Carolina. His love for this craft began when he was a young boy, while living on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Colorado. He would ride his horse along the Pine River in Southwest Colorado, listening to the other young men playing their flutes high on the hilltops.

One day, I received a call from his wife Diane Box, wanting some information on our Freedom Chair. Apparently the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest was a special place he longed to go to, but since he was stricken with kidney problems and put on dialysis, he was just too weak, to make the one and a half mile hike. After giving her all the details of our Freedom Chair, they decided that would be the only way to get Eddie out to see the trees.

She has sent several emails since then, and just recently sent me an email with many wonderful pictures documenting their trip to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Along with the pictures, was a very kind message to myself, Royce, and the rest of the staff, thanking us for creating such a great product! We both promised to keep in touch, and I feel I have made a life long friendship with 2 very special people, even if only through emails. Most of all was the satisfaction of knowing that through this one little sale, I helped to improve someone’s quality of life, by giving them the “Freedom” to once again do what they love to do.

RE: Enthusiastic Recommendation for the Crosswind Concepts Freedom Chair

As the Disability Access Services Leader of the Boy Scouts of America’s 2013 National Jamboree, I want to thank Crosswind Concepts for providing BSA with the Freedom Chairs they donated. These light weight sturdy evacuation chairs were a life saver for scouts with disabilities at the National Jamboree. The chairs enabled Jamboree staff and scouts to help scouts using wheelchairs and scouts with injuries to negotiate very difficult and muddy terrain where their wheelchairs or crutches would not let them travel.

Based on our experience at the 2013 National Jamboree, I believe that every scout reservation and outdoor recreation facility with challenging terrain would benefit by having at least a couple of Freedom Chairs to help with movement of individuals with disabilities or injuries! The chairs are a great backup plan to help make the inaccessible, more accessible.

My staff and the scouts with disabilities who used the chairs during the Jamboree were thrilled with the utility of having this option to assist scouts when their own equipment or the terrain was not up to the challenge. A single scout can easily help transport another scout and with the help of two or more scouts, nearly any physical barrier can be surmounted. Use of these chairs can help provide access to high adventure areas and activities to participants with disabilities that is nearly impossible without such equipment. They should be part of camp staff standard equipment to accommodate scouts with physical disabilities.

Although I do not speak for the BSA, as a whole, I would be glad to answer any questions or provide additional information on our experiences to any party who may be interested. I can be reached at (334) 744‐1629 or by email at tim.birt4scouts@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Timothy Birt

Disabilities Access Services Leader

2013 National Jamboree