Friday, September 30, 2016

Low or No Cost Ways To Get an IKAN Bowler®

The IKAN Bowler® is a well-engineered, durable adaptive bowling device empowering all types of wheelchair users to be able to bowl. Each unit is proudly manufactured individually, by hand, to precision standards in Brandon, Florida USA. We realize the IKAN Bowler® purchase price is not exactly pocket change for nearly all of the wheelchair users who can benefit from having their own, but if we shared our manufacturing costs, any experienced business person would say we are charging (essentially) as low a price as possible. So to help, here are…

Low or no cost ways to acquire an IKAN Bowler®:

• State programs for adaptive equipment/technology
• Veterans can qualify to get one through the VA
• Having a bowl-a-thon (it's easier than you might think)
• YouCaring or GoFundMe online fundraisers
• Donations from charitable foundations or service clubs

From Washington state on the West Coast over to Vermont on the East Coast, and all the way down to Florida, we know of wheelchair users who have qualified to receive various types of adaptive equipment and/or technology, through state programs. The IKAN Bowler® has been acquired this way.

Veterans can qualify to get an IKAN Bowler® through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) via the prosthetics department. We have an SMA government contract in order to facilitate this. Please contact us for details.

Having a bowl-a-thon really is easier than you might think, and doing so is a good way to raise money for an IKAN Bowler®. We actually have had three annual bowl-a-thons to raise money to help keep one of my Quad Squad bowling buddies (she also uses an IKAN Bowler®) out of a nursing home. You can see the format, and also download (and modify) the files we use to facilitate the bowl-a-thon fundraising by clicking HERE. A bowl-a-thon would be a good way for a group of local wheelchair users to raise enough money for everyone to get an IKAN Bowler® and form their own local Quad Squad.

YouCaring and GoFundMe are online "crowdfunding" platforms to raise money for lots of causes. YouCaring focuses more on compassionate causes such as medical needs, which is why we utilized it for the above-linked bowl-a-thon (I think the fees work out a little bit better for such endeavors). But GoFundMe is the more common and popular platform for online fundraising of all types, and it can also work for someone to humbly ask their friends and family to chip in for an IKAN Bowler® purchase.

Last but not least, some charitable organizations like the Kelly Brush Foundation and some service clubs, like Rotary Clubs, have a particular desire to help people with disabilities, and have previously purchased IKAN Bowlers®. Entities like these generally prefer to help folks in their local area. And they cannot say "yes" if you don't ask!

If you have any questions about these possibilities, feel free to email me (BillMiller@ikanbowler.com).

May God bless everyone who reads this.

Bill

William A. Miller, BSBA, ME
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net