Founder Archer Hadley and Mayor Steve Adler were joined by participants early Friday morning at Republic Square in downtown Austin to participate in Archer's Challenge.
Participants were fitted for manual wheelchairs at 8 a.m. then rolled off to work -- or to tour downtown Austin -- and returned the wheelchairs at 1 p.m. Businesses like GSD&M, Bank of America, City Hall, WP Engine and more also showed up to participate and give their support.
The Archer Challenge has been raising awareness since 2014 and raised over $230,000 to improve accessibility for disabled Central Texans. Archer Hadley was born with cerebral palsy and has spent his life in a wheelchair. He created the first challenge while only in high school to create accessible and automatic doors in Austin ISD schools and ended up raising over $87,000.
The 2017 goal of $100,000 will directly support independence for people with disabilities through Canine Companions for Independence, YMCA Camp Cypress and grants.