Orange County-Based Charity Teams up with SunPower Corp. to Distribute Wheelchairs in the Philippines
IRVINE, Calif., March 14, 2011 - International nonprofit organization Free Wheelchair Mission recently teamed up with solar energy pioneer SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) for a humanitarian project in the Philippines. Earlier this month, the partnership distributed approximately 1,100 wheelchairs to people with disabilities living in the region.
"SunPower cares deeply about the people who live in the regions where we work," said SunPower CEO Tom Werner. "We are excited about this partnership and appreciate the opportunity to help Free Wheelchair Mission expand its ability to provide the gift of mobility to those in need." More than 150 SunPower employees participated in the building and distribution of the wheelchairs to beneficiaries around Manila.
"We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with SunPower," said Don Schoendorfer, president and founder of Free Wheelchair Mission. "With their help, we'll be able to provide hundreds of additional wheelchairs to the Philippines, sharing the gifts of dignity, access and hope that a wheelchair can provide."
Founded by Schoendorfer in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission has to date provided in excess of 550,000 wheelchairs to people with disabilities living in 78 developing countries. Schoendorfer, an engineer and inventor by trade, developed the original FWM wheelchair model to navigate both the uneven rural terrain and inaccessible urban areas common to underserved regions of the world.
About Free Wheelchair Mission:
Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based, nonprofit organization based in Irvine, Calif. In partnership with over 200 like-minded groups, FWM funds, manufactures and delivers wheelchairs to impoverished disabled populations living in developing countries. To learn more, visit www.freewheelchairmission.org.
About SunPower Corp.
SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability solar panels and systems available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's quarter century of experience and guaranteed performance to provide maximum return on investment throughout the life of the solar system. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.
SOURCE SunPower Corp.
CONTACT: Vanessa Ryan, Communications Specialist, FWM, +1-949-273-8470, ext. 224, vryan@freewheelchairmission.org; or Helen Kendrick, Corporate Communications Manager of SunPower Corp., +1-408-240-5585, hkendrick@sunpowercorp.com
Web Site: www.freewheelchairmission.org
