Ryder is a 10 year old boy who needs your help. He's trying to raise funds to get a new wheelchair accessible van.

Ryder's family and friends are throwing a fundraiser for him tonight in West Richland.

The fundraiser is slated to start tonight at 6 pm in West Richland at Flat Top Park.

Friends and Family will be raising money for Ryder to get a wheelchair accessible van.

You'll enjoy a pizza dinner, music, games, silent auction and bake sale.

You can check out Ryder's page to get more information on the fundraising efforts for Ryder.

Ryder and his parents have always been blessed with what they need and are grateful for the vehicles that they have had for Ryder. However, Ryder and his needs have outgrown the current vehicle they have. Their current van requires Ryder’s parents to lift him from his power wheelchair to a seat in the van, and then load his wheelchair separately into a scooter/wheelchair lift in the back. As Ryder grows taller and heavier, the transfer is becoming more and more dangerous for both Ryder and the person lifting him. Ryder also lacks strength in his upper trunk muscles and often falls to one side or another when the vehicle turns corners, making travelling quite dangerous and uncomfortable.

The time has come for Ryder to get a wheelchair conversion van. A wheelchair conversion van is specially adapted to wheelchair users like Ryder. It has a ramp coming out the side of the vehicle so Ryder can simply ride up the ramp, park, and buckle his whole chair into a seatbelt making traveling safe and without requiring a transfer from his wheelchair. A wheelchair conversion van not only makes traveling safer for Ryder, it also greatly benefits Ryder and his family by eliminating the need to transfer Ryder from his wheelchair to a seat in the car.

Recently, Ryder’s family was blessed to meet an incredibly kind individual who has offered to sell Ryder’s family a very nice wheelchair conversion van she no longer needs as her loved one who needed the van has passed away. Wheelchair vans can easily cost over $50,000 (or more!) but the family has been given the opportunity to purchase this one for far less than the regular price of these vehicles. This conversion van would be a great blessing to Ryder and his family!

Ryder’s parents are hoping to qualify for a loan for the cost of the van, but banks will loan money only to cover the value of the van itself but do not include the wheelchair accessible conversion in the value of the vehicle. Ryder’s family needs to raise $18,000 to cover the costs that banks will not fund.

Please join us in helping Ryder and his family get the wheelchair van they need. Thank you!

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