Small Business Gives
Power Chairs an Attitude

Want to spruce up your wheelchair? Ryan “Rhino” Woolard of Lafayette, Ind., has discovered an innovative way to decorate a power wheelchair’s joystick: Rhino Knobs. Last year, he started a business offering Rhino Knobs to power wheelchair users who are tired of boring, black joystick knobs.

Rhino Knobs were born as a project

in Woolard’s art class at Harrison High School in West Lafayette.

“I got sick of having a black knob, and I wanted something different that had texture and color to it,” says Woolard, 18.

Woolard, who has congenital myopathy and uses a power wheelchair and vent, sculpts the decorative knobs out of colored clay. He paints them and uses glitter for girls’ designs.

A small business was born when he got feedback from other power wheelchair users who saw Woolard’s creations.

He has 14 different designs, including a football, baseball, basketball, heart, flower and butterfly, and he makes personalized creations upon request. Rhino knobs cost $5 to $10, depending on the level of complexity.

Find out more by contacting Woolard at Raw3609@aol.com. q

Charitable G ift Annuities

A charitable gift annuity is one of the easiest and most popular ways to make a charitable gift and supplement your income with fixed annual payments. You can establish a gift annuity with as little as $10,000 using cash, or securities.

In exchange for your gift, the Muscular Dystrophy Association will pay a specified amount to one or two beneficiaries for life. The payout rate is determined by the age(s) of the annuitants. Payments are backed by the assets of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. All annuitants must be at least 65 years old when payments begin. Payments can be made quarterly, semiannually or annually.

The Benefits to You

■ Increased cash flow while still making a significant gift to MDA.

■ Income tax savings if established during your lifetime.

■ Possible estate tax savings.

■ Partial bypass of capital gains tax when funded with appreciated property.

 

To request a gift illustration, please call MDA’s Vice President of Planned Giving at (800) 223-6011, or contact by e-mail at plannedgiving@mdausa.org.

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