PORTLAND, Ore. –VA Portland Health Care System is proud to announce that Adaptive Sports Northwest (ASNW) out of Beaverton was selected to receive a $125,000 grant from Veterans Affairs to provide adaptive sports programs benefiting Veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Forces with disabilities.
ANSW is the only Pacific Northwest recipient of the nearly $16 million of grants awarded to 102 national and community groups offering adaptive sports and equine therapy through VA’s annual Adaptive Sports Grant program.
“We are again honored to partner with Adaptive Sports Northwest for the second time to help Veterans with disabilities flourish and open pathways to community integration, despite the physical or mental challenges they may face,” said Darwin Goodspeed, VA Portland Health Care System Director. “This grant is essential to VA’s sports medicine model and the rehabilitation system of care to improve Veterans’ health and wellness through sports and therapeutic programs.”
VA awarded the grants to Veterans Service Organizations; city and regional municipalities; and other community groups to provide a wide range of adaptive sports opportunities. The grants will also benefit national governing bodies which prepare high level athletes for Paralympic competition.
ASNW will use the funds for planning, developing, managing, and implementing adaptive sports programs. This grant will support local adaptive sports and recreation programs such as handcycling, kayaking, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, goalball, sitting volleyball, powerchair soccer, track & field, swimming, and archery & marksmanship.
ASNW’s grant will support their efforts to expand Veteran access to sports in collaboration with ten Oregon-based organizations including;
• Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America • Disabled American Veterans • Portland Veterans Administration • Portland International Raceway • Portland Pounders wheelchair rugby team • Team River Runner | • Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation • Portland Parks and Recreation • City of Eugene • Portland State University • Northwest River Guides
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For more information about ASNW’s programs for service members and Veterans, contact Dave Hanna at 503-241-0850 or dave@adaptivesportsnw.org
Information about the VA awardees and details of the program are available at www.va.gov/adaptivesports and @Sports4Vets on social media.
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