NEA4WDC Press Release
03/09/2007
Access for All Vehicle

The Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs (NEA4WDC) is setting the wheels in motion for their Access-4-All Program.

The NEA4WDC, is working to incorporate a program with the goal of providing access for those with physical and mental disabilities, as well as under-privileged youth, to the great outdoors. The program is in it's beginning stages as the Association just recently received a donation of a 1996 Jeep Cherokee to be the designated vehicle.

A few years ago, the Association invited it's first disabled guest out on a trail ride. The individual was a resident at a Derry NH group home. Steve Nordby, Treasurer of the NEA4WDC, member of NE4WI, and also a disabled OHRV driver for several years, took the resident out as his passenger. An employee at the group home came out to help get the resident into Steve's Jeep and buckle him in. While on the trail, several other Association members were able to see the joy of the resident as he safely enjoyed his journey through the woods. In the best way that he could, he communicated to those around him how much he enjoyed his experience and he wanted to do it again.

The goal of the program is to approach local group homes, youth organizations, and organizations for the physically/mentally challenged, to solicit participation in the program.

The committee is looking for other volunteers who might be willing to help or participate. If you are interested, please contact Steve Nordby at info@nea4wd.org. Maybe we can take a disabled veteran out in the woods so he can hunt or fish or just enjoy nature's beauty! Maybe we can make a kid's day by allowing him to get out of a dark and dreary inner city neighborhood and out into the outdoors where he can have fresh air and explore nature.

It sounds like a great program!

I saw this posted over at Crolick's Corner too, and immediately liked the idea.

Great initiative!!

There's a lot on the boards about that. It appears as though they have a truck, but it has to be registered under the Treasurer's name because they don't have a formal building established, which would create an address to register against.

Is this truck shared among the clubs? IOW, could UNYX use it for a disabled veteran run?

That's a good question. My gut reaction is that it'd be a conditional yes in that UNYX is a member and, if we have someone that we'd like to offer up to use it, we have a valid reason for expecting to be added to the list.

That said, we're a new member to the group and I get the impression that this is at least a year-long effort so far and we might be at the bottom of the list for the usage given that the other members already have helped to secure the truck and are volunteering to make it trail worthy.

This sounds like an awesome idea!