A rally is a contest - usually involving a vehicle of some kind - in which you do various things and try to be the first across the finish line. Unlike a race, it's not simply a matter of leaving the start line with everyone else and trying to get to the finish line before everyone else. A rally usually involves other things...perhaps a scavenger hunt or solving puzzles along the way.



Here's how you can put a power chair rally together:

1. Find some helpers and choose a day to hold your rally. Determine if there will be a theme. Themes can be chosen as seasonally-appropriate or in honor of someone.

2. Contact your municipal government local representative and tell them that you are going to have a rally. Make it clear that it is for power chair users and it is a fun afternoon (and not a political rally...which they may initially think it's for).

3. See if you can find some corporate sponsorship for the event. Even if you just find a sponsor to provide beverages and hot dogs, that's a major portion of your event's costs out of the way.

4. Start planning your power chair rally! Determine the starting point and the ending point (and rest stops along the way). Decide what it is you want people to do as they go. Perhaps they need to solve puzzles or riddles at various points...if that's the case, they will need to have volunteers stationed at each puzzle to judge its completion. Don't make these tasks too difficult as you could have people of varying ability and health participating...the most important thing to do is make it fun.

5. Find volunteers who will drive around with a van and extra batteries in case a power cart stops operating.

6. Create flyers and distribute them to power chair sales stores, at hospitals, and around town. Contact the television and radio station and tell them what you plan on doing and see if they will promote your event. Many local stations enjoy promoting local events - especially ones for a good cause - and will probably be happy to. Don't forget to include a number or website where they can sign up. (You may have to charge, if you think there will be costs associated with the event... but you may not have to charge... especially if you can find corporate sponsorship!)

7. Show up on the day of your rally, post signs along the route, and get ready to have some fun!

If you want to avoid a lot of chaos at the start gate, just time people from start to finish and release them from the starting line every 30 seconds rather than starting everyone all at once.

A power chair rally is a great way to meet other power chair users and raise awareness about power chair usage. On top of that, it's just a fun way to spend a Saturday!