Behring Gifts Philanthropist Finds Fulfillment Donating Wheelchairs Around World by Victor Shiblie Kenneth Behring built a multimillion-dollar business from scratch. He owns his own private jet, and he once owned an NFL football teamóthe Seattle Seahawksóyet his greatest joy is handing out wheelchairs to disabled people anywhere in the world through his Wheelchair Foundation. Behring himself came from a poor family in Ohio and became a multimillionaire in real estate development. In 1998, he sold a prized possession, the Seattle Seahawks, to Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, for a $100 million profit. Since then, he has become one of Americaís most generous philanthropists. "It was by accident," Behring said. "When I sold [the Seattle Seahawks], I decided it was time in my life that I did something else. I had made enough money; I didnít need money." Behring, 76, an unassuming man, told The Washington Diplomat about his newfound passion for charity. "I was looking for a purpose in my life. I started to take used English books, clothes and medical supplies to Africa. "When there was a disaster," he recalled, "I would take things to the disaster. Then one of the churches got in touch with me and asked me to take a bunch of canned meat to the Kosovo refugees. I had 15 tons of canned meats, but there was still extra room in the airplane. That was the first time I ever thought about a wheelchair. So they asked me to take some wheelchairs and drop them off in Romania. "I talked to the doctors in Romania, where they told me these people are discarded if they are disabled. They are basically put in a back room and given one meal a day and hope that they fade away. They are ashamed to see them crawl. Itís kind of a stigma that if you have a disabled person, you did something wrong. It rang a bell with me that these are people. [I] saw the differences when I put them in a chairóthey suddenly became a human being rather than someone laying there." So in June 2000, Behring started the Wheelchair Foundation as a formal charity that distributes wheelchairs to the disabled throughout the world. The Wheelchair Foundation estimates that there are some 100 million people worldwide who are disabled. With close to 300,000 wheelchairs donated or committed, the foundation is hoping to distribute 1 million chairs in the next five years. Behring has ventured across the globe for his work. "With what we do, we are lucky," he said. "We get to be with royalty or heads of state. So one day I stay with them, the next day I go out with the poorest of the poor. But I think it is a balance that permits you to not get down." This past October, Behring returned with his group from a trip to Morocco and Jordan. On his way to the Middle East, Behring met with dignitaries such as King Mohamed VI of Morocco and then Queen Rania in Jordan. Yet, it is his experience handing out wheelchairs to average people that gives him his most memorable, and heart-wrenching, stories. "I was in Ethiopia," recalled Behring, "and we gave all our chairs away. When I came out, I saw a lady crawling up the road toward us. I decided I would go see what the deal was." He said the woman was covered in blood from her knees down, and she told Behring that she had been crawling for nine hours because she heard a group was giving away wheelchairs. "I said wowówe had given them all away. But I had some in the airplane for the next stop." Behring made sure she received her own wheelchair. Behringís success has become a challenge for certain countries. "We are causing governments problems," he said. "The more wheelchairs we give, the more they have to look at how these people with disabilities can get around on sidewalks." He noted that several countries are beginning to think about infrastructure considerations for the disabled. There are also challenges in getting wheelchairs to countries such as Russia and Vietnam. Often, issues with custom and exorbitant duties arise. In Russia, Behringís foundation had to convince the Russian government to subsidize a local manufacturer so that it could get wheelchairs into the country for $150 eachóthe same price they are paying in China. There is also the fear that the wheelchairs will not get to the people who truly need them. The foundation does not give the wheelchairs to governments but uses nongovernmental organizations and local charities to distribute them. Behring, who keeps tight control over how his money is spent, has enlisted the help of several presidential first ladies when there are problems getting his wheelchairs into a particular country. The foundation is trying to spread their wheelchairs and the message of their work out to the world community, and they encourage diplomats or others who have needs in their countries to contact their Washington, D.C., office. When asked what he enjoyed more, his peak as a businessman or handing out wheelchairs, Behring quickly replied, "I am 76 years old, and Iím working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, so that means I really like what I am doing. Iíve never worked that hard before in my life. Itís a work of love." Behring is writing a book, "Road to Purpose," to be released this month, which will be filled with the touching encounters he has personally had handing out wheelchairs to the disabled. Among his other philanthropic deeds, Behring is also the largest donor ever to give to the Smithsonian Institution. In 1997, he donated $20 million to the National Museum of Natural History, and in 2000 he donated an additional $80 million to the National Museum of American History. Behring was once asked for a favor from a woman who was taking care of the laundry in his house. She was not one to make many requests, he recalled. "I have a nephew [in Mexico] by the name of Angel who is 16 years old," she told Behring. "He has a terminal disease. First of all, he lost his eyesight so he is blind. Now he lost his mobility. If there is any way you can get him a wheelchair, I would really appreciate it." On his next trip to Mexico, Behring sought out Angel to give him a wheelchair. While there, Angelís parents asked if it was OK for Angel to speak to him." Behring recalled, "He didnít say anything," when they brought Angel to meet him. "He looked up at me with his blind eyes at mine, and he said, ëI will see you in heaven.í And you ask what I get out of [my work]." For more information on the Wheelchair Foundation, please e-mail Cheryl or Peter Barnes at cbarnes@wheelchairfoundation.org or call (703) 684-9820 or visit www.wheelchairfoundation.org. Victor Shiblie is editor in chief of The Washington Diplomat.