Christa and Saul Welger Foundation

WF Announces 2026 Grant Recipients

The Welger Foundation is excited to announce the grant recipients for our 2026 grant cycle. This year, we received an incredible amount of applications from multiple sports. We are thrilled to be able to provide grants to the following 18 young athletes, and we look forward to their growth and achievements in their chosen sports!

Aaron Butler Rodriguez – Age 14
Camden, NJ
Wheelchair Basketball

Alayna Jackson – Age 9
New York, NY
Wheelchair Basketball

Andrew Ringeisen – Age 17
Somerset, NJ
Swimming, Track & Field

Austin Bird – Age 13
Merrick, NY
Wheelchair Basketball

Bristol Heller – Age 13
Jenkintown, PA
Wheelchair Basketball

Brooks Cohen – Age 7
Wilmington, DE
Wheelchair Basketball

Cayden Green – Age 12
Stafford, VA
Wheelchair Basketball

Daniel Truglio – Age 9
Greencastle, PA
Wheelchair Basketball

Daniel Weissman – Age 13
Glen Ridge, NJ
Swim, Special Hockey, Adaptive Skiing

Dante Limoli – Age 9
Yorktown Heights, NY
Sled Hockey, Wheelchair Basketball,
Wheelchair Tennis

Derricke Egypt – Age 16
Woodbridge, VA
Wheelchair Basketball

Emma D’Antonio – Age 14
Bohemia, NY
Wheelchair Basketball, Tennis, Track & Field

Gabryella Ashe – Age 13
Radford, VA
Wheelchair Basketball

Meredith Nagelin – Age 13
Vienna, VA
Swimming

Oreoluwa Ibitoye – Age 15
New York, NY
Wheelchair Basketball

Rachel Webster – Age 14
Wethersfield, CT
Wheelchair Basketball, Swimming

Violet Kelly – Age 18
Union, NJ
Track & Field, Swimming

Zoey Rooney – Age13
Springfield, PA
Track, Swimming

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About Our Story

Christa and Saul first met at the 1958 Stoke Mandeville Games and renewed their friendship in 1959 at those Stoke Mandeville Games. Fate would bring them back together at the 1960 inaugural Paralympics in Rome, Italy. Lured by the promise of excellent food and spare wheelchair parts, Christa ventured over to the American tent along with a few of her teammates. Saul and Christa started a conversation, but while he stepped away to refill their plates, another athlete came in to charm her. Naturally competitive, Saul shooed the young admirer away. The games were a success for both Christa and Saul—she won eight medals and he won two, but the true win was the start of their romance.

All donations are Tax Deductible.
The Christa and Saul Welger Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with Tax ID# 84-2550213.

View the 2021 Financial Statement.