NMEDA Local Heroes Contest Now Underway

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Apr 14, 2016

The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) has kicked off its Local Heroes contest in preparation for National Mobility Awareness Month in May.

On April 12, the adaptive automotive association began accepting entries from consumers vying to win a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, to be provided by sponsors Fiat Chrysler, Toyota Mobility and Valley Honda Dealers. The vehicles will be customized by BraunAbility, ElDorado Mobility and Vantage Mobility International.

Last year, the contest received 914 entries. Participants then cast more than 1.3 million votes in all.

Voting this year starts May 3 and ends May 31. Winners will be announced in June.

Dave Hubbard, executive director/CEO of NMEDA, said in a news announcement, “It is rewarding to work on such an important project each year that literally changes the lives of people with inspirational life stories that demonstrate Life Moving Forward. It is their contributions and triumphs we recognize and celebrate through the Local Heroes Contest.”

The contest encourages families, consumers and caregivers to write stories or submit videos that show how they’re “triumphing over their mobility challenges and positively impacting the lives of the people around them.”

The NMEDA announcement added that two dozen additional “Local Heroes” who didn’t win a vehicle in the Mobility Awareness Month contest eventually received vehicles thanks to grass-roots fundraising efforts by their communities.