5 years of helping people live their best lives

Oct. 20—Five years after David's Chair founder Steve Furst inadvertently launched a nonprofit to provide access to the outdoors for those facing mobility challenges, the organization is growing by leaps and bounds, moving into a more "official" space and expanding its reach to make specialized wheelchairs accessible around the country.

A handful of events that start tonight and run into the weekend will raise money to fund special outdoor track and golfing chairs that allow mobility-challenged folks to enjoy such things as beach trips, fishing, hunting and golf.

David's Chair started when Furst's friend, David Hartrick, a hunter and angler who worked as a caregiver in Medford, was diagnosed with ALS in January 2017.

An avid outdoorsman, Hartrick didn't want to give up the things he loved doing.

Furst and a group of friends rallied together to raise money for an Action Track Chair, which boasts tractor-like "wheels" and joystick controls to navigate all types of terrain.

While the chairs are less expensive than some conventional wheelchairs covered by medical insurance, the Action Track Chairs aren't covered. Hartrick's friends managed to provide a chair for him before his death in January 2018 and promised him they'd continue their work to help others.

Furst said the past five years have been a whirlwind, and 2022 in particular saw "a year of great growth and expansion."

Over the past year, David's Chair, which provides the chairs for free, placed chairs in Tigard, Houston and Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain. Prior to this year, the chairs already had been in the Rogue Valley and on the coast.

"Right now, we have 11 track chairs, total; eight are in Southern Oregon," Furst said.

"We have a chair in Houston, where 50% of their chair users are disabled veterans. We're also working with the American Legion in Tigard, and they're housing a chair 'Tow and Go' program. The chair is being used constantly, which shows how much need there is."

Central Point resident Justin Ayres said his life would be drastically different without the services provided by David's Chair. Injured in May 2013, Ayres is deemed an incomplete paraplegic, with some feeling in parts of his legs and glute muscles.

An avid outdoorsman who grew up on a ranch, Ayres said he wasn't ready to "stop living" when he was paralyzed in a motocross accident.

"I started using the track chairs three years ago. I sat around for a few, feeling kind of sorry for my situation, but then a good friend got me off the couch. After that, I would always 'road hunt' and do what I could, to just be able to get outside," Ayres said.

"Once I found out about the track chairs, I was able to get back into the woods again and do things I love to do. Honestly, I couldn't get enough of it.

"When I first found out about it, they were getting busier, and I knew there were people in a worse situation than I was, so I didn't want to use it too much if others needed them. But if it were up to me, I'd be in one all the time."

Ayres said the more recently introduced ParaGolfer chairs have enabled him to golf three or more times per week when he's not at work. The ParaGolfer chair features two golf cart-style tires to traverse over turf; a single back tire allows the user, belted into a standing position, to pivot and turn.

"It seat belts you in at the legs and waist so you can stand up and lean into your club and swing away," said Ayres.

"Before they got the ParaGolfers, I tried to golf from a golf cart because a regular wheelchair can't go over the grass. I'd try to hang onto the cart to swing, kind of thing."

Ayres said having access to the free service was life-changing, and his life would be drastically different without David's Chair.

"They just are really dedicated to doing what they're doing. It's really just about helping anybody and everybody. Steve even pays for my golf sometimes, just to get me outside and using one of the chairs," he said.

Furst said every outing and every life changed means Hartrick's dream is being realized. Changes for the coming year include a move — from "three and four different garages around town" to a consolidated "real home" in a storage facility with office space in White City.

Once settled in, they plan to raise money to continue to provide services to anyone with a need. Furst said the organization prioritizes disabled veterans and works with other providers of veterans services, whenever possible.

With half a decade of experience, Furst said, David's Chair was centered on growth and expansion.

"This is the year we've decided to try and grow it. One of the things David talked about was everybody having access to chairs," he added.

"We're trying to really honor that mission and keep moving forward. When you can't get out and do the things in your life that you love to do, it's hard to have that motivation to want to keep going. What we hope to do is provide, free of charge, these tools that give people a chance to be able to still get out and live their lives."

Two events, collectively dubbed "David's Chair Big Weekend Fifth Anniversary Celebration," are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday to raise money for more chairs.

Thursday will see a casino night at Rocky Tonk, 333 E. Main St., in Medford. The event will run 6-11 p.m., boasting poker games, raffle items and other activities. Doors open at 5 p.m., casino games start at 6 and prize drawings are at 9.

The weekend's main event, a dinner and fundraiser, will be Saturday at Olsrud Arena at The Expo, 1 Peninger Road, Central Point. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. with games and a silent auction. Dinner at 5 p.m. will be served by Sweet Tea Express. A dessert auction will be at 6, followed by a live auction at 7. Tickets are $30 per person.

For details, see davidschair.org.

Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 541-776-8784 or bpollock@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.