Local Hero Contest Winner Courtney Boyll, a teacher and coach who was paralyzed following a car accident, will be handed the keys to a 2014 Sienna with VMI Northstar conversion by Vantage Mobility International (VMI), Toyota, and the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA).
According to a news release issued by VMI, Boyll, an elementary school teacher and mother of three, has dedicated her life to academics and athletics. Following the accident that paralyzed her nearly 20 years ago, Boyll resolved to never give up and to be an example.
Boyll emphasizes that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. “I take it one day at time and make it the best I can, and I am thankful for the van that VMI, Toyota, and NMEDA are providing to make my life easier,” Boyll says.
For the 2014 National Mobility Awareness Month’s Local Heroes online contest, VMI again joined forces with NMEDA and Toyota as sponsors. The campaign is designed to educate seniors, veterans, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities about adaptive mobility solutions to enable them to live more active and mobile lifestyles.
See a full list of contest winners
The release notes that the 2014 Toyota Sienna with VMI Northstar conversion is scheduled to be awarded to Boyll during a ceremony filled with friends, family, colleagues, and students in her home state of Alabama, at Serra Toyota in Decatur.
Doug Eaton, president of VMI, states, “VMI strongly believes in supporting National Mobility Awareness Month. This is an annual event with the vehicle giveaways going to inspiring individuals. This year, VMI’s Toyota with Northstar conversion will go to Courtney Boyll, an extraordinary elementary teacher and coach from Alabama.”
The Toyota with VMI Northstar conversion offers a variety of features, including maximum interior space for wheelchairs, easy entry for wide power chairs on 30-inch ramp, and maximum door height and headroom. The vehicle also offers easily accessible interior buttons, handles and switches, driver and front passenger removable seats, as well as the Sure Deploy backup system, which allows users to stow or deploy the mobility ramp even in the event of a power failure.
Dave Hubbard, NMEDA CEO, designates the Local Heroes Contest as a rewarding part of the organization’s operations, “Each year the awareness for mobility challenges and solutions continues to grow. We thank our members, contest sponsors and the hundreds of communities and thousands of individuals who rallied this year to make National Mobility Awareness Month special once again. I also want to personally thank the millions who took the time to read and learn about all of the Local Heroes in our contest and then cast their votes.”
Learn more about National Mobility Awareness Month
Source: VMI
