Photography Exhibit Mobilizes Giving at Cal Poly Nov. 6-23

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s student chapter of the Wheelchair Foundation will hold an art show fundraiser featuring photography taken during the organization’s trip to distribute wheelchairs in Peru last summer.

Titled, “Viva el Peru,” the show will be held at the Art Center in San Luis Obispo. The Grand Opening will be Nov. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m., and catered by Novo restaurant. The show will run through Nov 23.

Photography on display will be available for purchase. This year, the chapter’s goal is to raise $84,000 to send more than 520 wheelchairs to disabled residents of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Peru distribution trip was the culmination of last year’s Cal Poly Wheelchair Foundation efforts, which raised $90,000 and distributed 260 wheelchairs in Peru.

The opening night reception will feature a slideshow with pictures of the team as they distributed wheelchairs in Lima, Cusco, and Puno. Photographs on display highlight the natural beauty of Peru, the country’s rich culture and landmarks like Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. The photographs also shed light on the struggle faced by Peru’s disabled population.

Featured photographers for “Viva el Peru” include Cal Poly seniors Kori Savoie, Kali Bills, and Noelle Luchino. Savoie hopes viewers will see more than just a photo. “I hope people will take with them a sense of hope and inspiration. I hope it will inspire people to help and get involved,” she said.

The Wheelchair Foundation is a non-profit organization leading an international effort to deliver a wheelchair to every adult, teen and child in the world who needs one but cannot afford one. The gift of a wheelchair allows people with physical disabilities freedom, self-reliance, mobility, and hope. The Cal Poly chapter, organized in 2001, was the first student chapter in the nation.

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