louie traub/viewEverything Medical mobility technician Nick Cortinas works on a motorized scooter at 1811 W. Charleston Blvd. The company is offering free tune-ups Saturday for wheelchairs and three-wheeled riding scooters used by physically disabled individuals.
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Las Vegans will likely see a traffic jam this weekend near Charleston Boulevard and Shadow Lane. But it won't be vehicles that are in gridlock.
It'll be wheelchairs and three-wheeled riding scooters used by physically disabled individuals.
Everything Medical, 1811 W. Charleston Blvd., plans to hold its sixth annual Mobility Tune-up Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Last year, more than 300 people showed up for the free event, said Jeffrey Kelemen, store manager.
They lined up around the exterior of the strip mall to wait their turn.
"It's an assembly line, the way we do it now," Kelemen said. "From the moment we open, we just go like gangbusters."
The repair technicians offer a checklist of services, such as brake adjustment, greasing lift components, washing the units and general maintenance. Any major repairs will be handed over to manufacturing representatives, who will be on site, as well.
Normally, the cost to tune up a wheelchair or a scooter starts at $60.
Participants do not have to be customers of the store in order to have the tune ups done.
It's Everything Medical's way of giving back to the community, said Robert Kelemen, who founded the store in 1997.
Customer Jim Bilan discovered the store when his late wife, Hope, needed an oxygen concentrator.
"They bend over backwards to help their customers and they do things right," Bilan said.
Another customer, Greg Nelson, bought a Go Go portable scooter last year. He plans to bring it in for the Mobility Tune up Day.
"I trust these people," he said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't come back."
As a pharmacist, Kelemen said he understands ailments and he doesn't "treat people like a number."
As a result, Everything Medical owes much of its growth to word of mouth.
When Kelemen began the family operated business, it occupied 900 square feet. Within two years, it broke through the wall to expand to 1,800 square feet.
Now the business covers 5,000 square feet and has 19 employees.
Among them are his sons Jeffrey and Brian and their wives, Elizabeth and Joanne, respectively.
Customers are often greeted by another family member, Sally, the Australian shepherd and store mascot.
Everything Medical offers canes, walkers, electric massage and lift chairs, motorized scooters and wheelchairs.
Technology and new materials are making them lighter for easier lifting.
They also can be taken apart, meant to make transporting them less cumbersome.
The store also carries smaller items, such as grip bars for shower stalls, oxygen tank carriers and back braces.
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