Wauwatosa based The Ability Center has an innovative idea called Adaptive Scholastic Athletic Programming (ASAP) and not only was it named "Best Social Business Plan" by Marquette University’s Kohler Center of Entrepreneurship, it’s one of 500 finalists in Toyota’s "100 Cars for Good" program, too.
"100 Cars for Good" will award vehicles to 100 nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public in one day, one vote campaigns through Facebook.
The Ability Center is the vision and dream of founder and executive director, Damian Buchman. Since being diagnosed with and surviving bi-lateral osteosarcoma (childhood bone cancer) at age 13 (and again at age 14), Buchman, 33 and the only known survivor of his diagnosis, has long searched for the reason he survived what doctors said was "unsurvivable."
The ASAP program, Buchman believes, is his calling. ASAP is a scholastic team wheelchair sports program that will provide the 5,000 children in southeastern Wisconsin with the same opportunity to letter, play and compete in scholastic sports just as their able-bodied peers do.
I had coffee with Buchman last week, and want to do my small part to help. So, I’m asking you to please vote on July 27. The Ability Center’s legal name AFAR, Inc., is on the ballot and all you have to do is go to Facebook, register and vote.
Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program showcases five non-profit organizations each day for 100 days on Toyota’s Facebook page. Visitors to the page can vote once a day for the organization that they feel is most deserving of a new Toyota vehicle. On Wednesday, July 27 a new Toyota Tundra is on the online for Buchman’s group. It will be used to pull an equipment trailer that will transport adaptive wheelchairs for students with physical disabilities.
Buchman also is raising money and awareness for an athletic and fitness center that will be designed specifically for the needs of disabled athletes.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
