NORWICH — The ballroom at the Norwich Holiday Inn was filled with emotion on Sunday morning, as 100 motorized wheelchairs were given away to scores of residents in need. Starting at 11 a.m., the recipients, some missing limbs and others suffering from cancer or neurological disorders, got their life-changing technology.

For the ninth year in a row, AZ Pawn owner Phil Pavone donated these wheelchairs as part of an event called the Gift of Mobility. Over that time, Pavone has given away over 580 chairs.

It all started a decade ago when Pavone, who is both a Vietnam veteran and a cancer survivor, discovered just how many people in the community needed these motorized wheelchairs.

“I had bought two of these chairs to sell and eventually make a profit on,” Pavone said. “When they didn’t sell, I put an ad in the newspaper to give them away. I got 60 letters.”

From that point on, Pavone has been giving away wheelchairs to those in need. Like Santa and his elves, Pavone has enlisted a team of volunteers who help him acquire unwanted chairs and refurbish them throughout the year. They get batteries for the chairs as well, which can be an undertaking in itself. Better than Santa, however, Pavone doesn’t only give away these chairs in December. He donates them all year long.

Sunday’s event started off with a surprise for Danielle Ciccotti of Preston. Ciccotti had recently approached Pavone and requested a special chair that would be capable of handling rough terrain. Pavone apologetically told Ciccotti that he was unable to get her that one, as that model was too expensive. To Ciccotti’s astonishment, however, Pavone unveiled the exact chair that she had requested, and even in her preferred shade of light-blue.

“This is the best Christmas present ever,” Ciccotti said. “I’ve been wanting this for so long and this was so much money that I didn’t think I would get it. I’ve been asking Phil and he told me that he couldn’t get it. But when he took off the cover and brought it out, I was happy.”

Ciccotti’s childhood friend, Mallory Ahern, also got some special treatment from Pavone on Sunday. She also made a request for a specific kind of power chair, a Jazzy, and Phil made sure that she received the one she wanted.

“Phil is absolutely amazing,” Ahern said. “He works miracles.”