Students and staff members in Hope’s athletic training program recently collected hundreds of ambulatory and rehabilitation aids that ultimately will help the disabled in countries around the world.

The donations were collected on Hope’s campus and around Holland, Michigan, during February  to benefit “Wheels for the World,” an organization that collects and refurbishes the equipment.

Donations included 38 wheelchairs, 65 pairs of crutches, 117 walkers, 43 canes and other aids such as car seats and strollers.

The California-based “Wheels for the World” program is affiliated with “Joni and Friends,” a ministry outreach serving people with disabilities and their families.

That organization was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada, who had a diving accident at age 17 that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. She has become a leading disability advocate, as well as an author an artist.