Charles Industries owner donates sailboat to Miami charity
CHICAGO – Joe Charles, owner of electrical products manufacturer Charles Industries, has donated a 20-foot Catalina Freedom Independence sailboat to Shake-A-Leg Miami – a non-profit organization that provides recreational and educational activities for the disabled, Charles Industries said in a release today.
The newest member of the SALM fleet, named “Liberator,” was christened on May 1 during the grand opening of the organization’s watersports center.
“Our motto has always been ‘launching boats and dreams,’” said Harry Horgan, founder and executive director of Shake-A-Leg Miami. “It’s with generous contributions from people like the Charles family that allow us to carry out our mission.”
Designed to be universally accessible, the sailboat has two swivel seats and all lines coming to the cockpit to give wheelchair-bound individuals maximum safety and control.
“The Charles family is pleased to sponsor the Shake-A-Leg Miami foundation and to support their mission of making dreams come true and enabling people to achieve their goals,” Joe Charles said.
Shake-A-Leg Miami was founded in 1982 by Harry Horgan, who had been paralyzed after an accident, and discovered during his rehabilitation that the physically-challenged need a place where they can build confidence and strengthen their bodies following traditional hospital based rehabilitation.
It operates in partnership with the City of Miami Parks Department, the organization offers a fully inclusive education and recreation center and the largest adaptive watersports center in the United States, according to the company.
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