Did you know that you can turn your everyday online shopping into support for RAMP?
Click here and shop at over 330 stores like Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Barnes & Noble, Gap and many more! These stores give up to 26% from every purchase you make to your cause. Many of these contributions can be tax deductible for you.

News Releases

Read these news release summaries for exciting announcements and news from RAMP!

September 15, 2004 – RAMP to Hold Deaf Culture Salon to Collect Old Equipment to Donate for a Deaf Museum
RAMP will hold a Deaf Culture Salon from 6 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2004 at 202 Market St., Rockford. The purpose of this Deaf Culture Salon is to collect old assistive equipment that will be donated to Barr Productions Deaf Devices & Museum in Madison, Wisconsin.
Even those who do not have equipment to bring in and donate will enjoy attending the Deaf Culture Salon to view the historical deaf devices, such as very old TTY machines, hearing aids, fire alarms and alarm clocks.

August 24, 2004 - U.S. Cellular extends C.A.R.E. Program

Do you have an old cell phone or two sitting at home? The folks at U.S. Cellular are asking you to bring your

retired phones to its retail stores and authorized agent locations for a good cause. From now until September

30, U.S. Cellular is running its C.A.R.E. program, collecting used cell phones that will be refurbished or

recycled. All proceeds from the donated phones will benefit RAMP.

July 26, 2004 - RAMP News Conference to Kick Off I’D Vote Campaign
On July 26, the 14^th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), RAMP will hold a news conference to kick off the Illinois Disability Vote Project 2004. The news conference will be held at 10 a.m. at the Rockford Board of Elections Office, 301 S. Sixth Street, and will be officiated by Senator Dave Syverson and RAMP’s John Beck.
The I’d Vote campaign is a non-partisan and collaborative effort by Centers for Independent Living in Illinois, such as RAMP, to empower people with disabilities to impact public policy through increased voting presence.
People with disabilities are the largest minority in the United States, at 20% of the population. In addition, 25% of voting age people in Illinois has disabilities. However, people with disabilities have a 30%-35% voter turnout rate, the lowest average voter turnout rate in the country. What does this mean in terms of politics? Power is demonstrated by money and votes. Since people with disabilities have the lowest voter turnout, they have the least power.
The I’d Vote campaign will educate people with disabilities in Illinois about the importance of voting. Voting is a way to ensure that elected officials are responsive to voters concerns on all types of issues. RAMP will also assist people with disabilities in registering to vote. Call 968-7467 for more info.

July 14, 2004 - Full version of latest SLANT newspaper is available online.

July 8, 2004 - READY TO WHEEL !!!!

Over 125 people (with and without a disability) are expected to grab a wheelchair and wheel themselves over a two-mile course in the 5th Annual Freeport Wheel-A-Thon, coordinated by Regional Access & Mobilization Project, Inc. (RAMP). The Wheel-A-Thon is being held on July 31, 2004 at 10 a.m. at Krape Park.

This event has two purposes:

1. To raise community awareness of the issues involved when using a wheelchair for mobility and the importance of accessibility.

2. To raise much needed funds for RAMP’s Stephenson County services. Approximately 80 participants and volunteers and 31 sponsors raised over $17,000 in last year's Wheel-A-Thon. Our goals for this year’s event are 125 participants and $25,000. This includes $12,500 from business sponsors and $12,500 from individual participants.

RAMP's mission is to promote an accessible society that allows and expects full participation by people with disabilities. RAMP advocates for and serves persons with disabilities in North Central Illinois with the purpose of increasing their ability to become a productive, contributing, and self-directing member of society.

In 1997, RAMP opened an office in Freeport and, since then, our service to Northwest Illinois has exploded. Currently we have eight staff members in the Freeport office serving over 450 people with disabilities – all on an operating budget of $370,000. The funds generated through the Wheel-A-Thon are critical to our growing Stephenson County services.

For more information about the Freeport Wheel-A-Thon or to register, visit www.rampcil.org or call RAMP at 815-233-1128.

Major sponsors of the 5^th Annual Freeport Wheel-A-Thon are Honeywell Sensing And Controls, Country Legends 92.1/WFRL 1570, and 23 WIFR.

June 11, 2004 – Rockford Wheel-A-Thon to be Largest Wheelchair Event to Promote Accessibility
An estimated 300 individuals with and without disabilities will gather together on June 19 at 10 a.m. to promote accessibility for people with disabilities in the 16^th Annual Rockford Wheel-A-Thon, an event that is expected to raise $150,000 for Regional Access & Mobilization Project (RAMP) and the Rockford Chariots Wheelchair Athletic Association.

Event organizers have submitted a request to the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize the Rockford Wheel-A-Thon as the largest event using wheelchairs to promote accessibility and raise funds. A response is expected sometime toward the end of June.

Participants raise pledges for the event and use a wheelchair to negotiate a 1.8 mile route and learn how important it is for communities to be accessible to the rising number of Americans with mobility impairments. Over 100 wheelchairs will be borrowed from area vendors and medical facilities and used by the participants to complete the route.

Those who participate in the Wheel-A-Thon are a diverse group. Some are RAMP consumers or Chariots members, some are elected officials, many are employees of area companies who form teams, and some are just members of the general public who want to be a part of this unique, fun and successful event. In particular, we will be joined by Rockford Mayor Doug Scott and State Senator Dave Syverson as well as several other northern Illinois legislators and local media personalities.

June 9, 2004 - U.S. CELLULAR LAUNCHES WIRELESS HANDSET RECYCLING PROGRAM TO BENEFIT RAMP

Wireless Provider Calls for Retired Wireless Phones

U.S. Cellular is giving northern Illinois residents who take advantage of wireless number portability (WNP), a way to recycle retired wireless phones for a good cause. Industry experts predict millions of phones will be cast aside because consumers nationwide now have the option of changing service providers while retaining their original wireless phone number. To give consumers a way to safely dispose of those unused phones and support R.A.M.P. (Regional Access and Mobilization Project), U.S. Cellular is re-launching its C.A.R.E.^SM (Community Action Recycling Effort^SM) program in Rockford and other select cities nationwide.

Through the C.A.R.E.^SM program, which will continue through August 31, 2004, residents of Rockford can go to any local U.S. Cellular store or exclusive agent location to donate their retired wireless phones. The C.A.R.E.^SM program is open to all wireless consumers. Donated phones will be sold to RMS Communications, Inc., which restores and refurbishes wireless phones. Proceeds from the donated phones will benefit R.A.M.P.

Even phones that have no market value will be accepted. The materials from these phones will be recycled and re-used in other manufacturing processes, preventing the raw materials from ending up in the nation’s landfills.

“The U.S. Cellular C.A.R.E.^SM program is one way that we help consumers give back to the local community and protect the environment through a simple donation – a wireless phone,“ said Julia Eystad, director of sales for U.S. Cellular. “We encourage everyone in northern Illinois to stop by any U.S. Cellular location and take advantage of this great opportunity.”

C.A.R.E.^SM Program Launch/Add One

"For years, U.S. Cellular has been an active and generous supporter of R.A.M.P.," said John Beck, development director of R.A.M.P. "We are thrilled by the creative manner in which U.S. Cellular has chosen to continue aiding R.A.M.P. in our efforts to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities in northern Illinois."

U.S. Cellular is accepting any wireless phone, excluding bag phones or vehicle-installed models. The phones need not be in working order. The company will also accept the phone’s battery or charger, if available. Collection bins will be located at all U.S. Cellular retail stores and authorized agent locations.

Established in 1980, RAMP is a non-profit Center for Independent Living (CIL) that advocates for and serves people with disabilities in Boone, DeKalb, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties in north Central Illinois. RAMP's mission is to promote an accessible society that allows and expects full participation by people with disabilities. By expecting people with disabilities to play an active role in society, they can begin to realize their full potential and start to give back to their community. RAMP teaches society that people with disabilities can and must be more active in their communities. This, in turn, gives the person with a disability opportunities that otherwise might have been non-existent. This past year, RAMP staff served 1,275 consumers, surpassing the previous year's total of 988.

U.S. Cellular Corporation, the nation's eighth largest wireless service carrier, provides wireless service to more than 4.5 million customers in 147 markets throughout 26 states. The 20-year-old, Chicago-based company has provided service to Illinois since 1985 and operates on a customer satisfaction strategy, meeting customers' needs by providing a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, superior customer support, a high-quality network and targeted community outreach activities. U.S. Cellular is listed and traded as USM on the American Stock Exchange. For more information about U.S. Cellular, visit the company's Web site at www.uscellular.com.

May 27, 2004 - Legally Blind RAMP Consumer to Pedal Bike 3,300 Miles Across America
Starting on June 28th, legally blind Matthew Scudder, former RAMP Consumer, will ride a bicycle from Seattle, Washingon to Washington D.C. in support of the American Lung Association. He has pledged to raise $5,500 and can only do it with our support! Your tax deductible donation will help fight increasing air pollution, help reduce tobacco use (esp. among young people), and help prevent lung diseases, such as asthma, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. Visit www.alaw.org/scudder to learn more or to make a donation.

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