TAMPA, FL--(Marketwired - June 09, 2014) - Ride-Away®, a leading provider of handicap-accessible vans, parts and service and subsidiary of HASCO Medical, Inc. (OTCQB: HASC), helped the National Mobility Equipment Dealer’s Association (NMEDA) present a wheelchair accessible van to Antonio Dowels of Tampa, Florida, one of four National Mobility Awareness Month contest winners on Friday, May 30, 2014.
More than 18 million people in the U.S. and Canada have mobility issues, and people with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the U.S., according to NMEDA. The NMEDA also reported 6.8 million Americans use assistive devices to help them with mobility and that means there are many more people that have a need for mobility devices like wheelchair accessible vehicles.
National Mobility Awareness Month (www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com) is a chance for the mobility industry to give back to people who need an assistive device by providing four local heroes with a chance to receive a wheelchair accessible van for free. Applicants share their story and receive votes from friends and family. In 2014, more than 4 million people participated or voted for a National Mobility Awareness Month participant.
Dowels is one of this year’s winners and his story is inspirational. Dowels was driving home from a track meet one night during high school when he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed at 70 mph into the back of a semi truck. He woke up paralyzed, having broken his neck and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. Through years of rehabilitation and perseverance, Dowels has accomplished many goals, graduating from the University of Florida and pursuing his dream of attending law school in Miami.
Dowels’ ability to attend law school hinged around his ability to be independent and transport himself. He entered the National Mobility Awareness Month contest with the hopes of winning his own wheelchair accessible vehicle. He received overwhelming support from friends and family, football player Tim Tebow, local ABC News Anchor Linda Hurtado, and the Ellen Degeneres show, ultimately acquiring over 25,000 votes.
Video of Dowels’ story on ABC Action News of Tampa can be seen here:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/health/antonio-dowels-wins-a-modified-van-so-he-can-drive-despite-his-disability-how-you-helped-him
The van was presented to Dowels in a surprise ceremony at Ride-Away of Tampa, Florida. It was a joyous and emotional occasion for all involved and a true testimony to the kind of difference wheelchair accessible vehicles and adaptive driving equipment can make in someone’s life.
Jim Scruggs, General Manager of the Tampa Ride-Away store, commented on the surprise ceremony: “There wasn’t a dry eye among the group. Antonio was truly surprised and his grandmother called us ‘Angels.’ It was an inspirational moment and one I will not forget.”
This year’s National Mobility Awareness Month realized nearly a 20 percent increase in awareness of mobility issues since the Local Heroes Contest inception three years ago.
About HASCO Medical, Inc.
HASCO Medical is a leading provider of handicap accessible vans, parts, and service that dramatically improve the quality of living of its customers. The company operates 19 locations from Maine to Florida, as well as provides medical equipment and supplies in Florida. The company’s mobility brands include Ride-Away (www.Ride-Away.com), Auto Mobility Sales (www.automobilitysales.com), Mobility Freedom (www.MobilityFreedom.com) and Wheelchair Vans of America (www.wcvans.com). It provides durable medical equipment through its Certified Medical subsidiary located in Ocala, Florida. To learn more, go to www.hascomed.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases you can identify those so-called “forward looking statements” by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “targets,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of those words and other comparable words. These forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, product tests, commercialization risks, availability of financing and results of financing efforts that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. Further information regarding these and other risks is described from time to time in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available on its website at: http://www.sec.gov. We assume no obligation to update or alter our forward-looking statements made in this release or in any periodic report filed by us under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any other document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable federal securities laws.
Image Available: http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/201406/MOD-254954_photo3.jpg
Video Available: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/health/antonio-dowels-wins-a-modified-van-so-he-can-drive-despite-his-disability-how-you-helped-him
Company Contact:
HASCO Medical, Inc.
214-302-0930
Email Contact
Investor Relations Contacts:
Liolios Group, Inc.
Ron Both, Senior Managing Director
949-574-3860
Email Contact
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