Springs Paralympic Club Gets Grant To Help Injured Service Members

The City of Colorado Springs Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Program has received $31,000 in grant funding to continue programming for injured service members and veterans in Colorado Springs.

$11,000 of this grant comes from the United States Olympic Committee’s U.S. Paralympics division through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and $20,000 is from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)’s Parks: Return & Restore program, a partnership between U.S. Paralympics and NRPA.

This funding allows the TR Program to offer adaptive sports and physical training opportunities for injured service members and expand opportunities for injured veterans in the Colorado Springs community.

“The TR Program has been fortunate to be recipients of these grants. Over the years we have been thrilled to witness changes in physical activity and self-confidence through participation in program activities of biathlon, adaptive cycling, and adaptive sports. We look forward to continuing to grow our programming to benefit disabled service members in our community by implementing additional activities of archery, “Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies”, and more adaptive sports. We’ve seen firsthand the transformation of injured service members that can happen through sport and physical activity, from overall improved health, to adjustment to disability and maximizing individuals’ abilities, to transitioning back into the local community,” said Diane Ridderhoff, TR Program Supervisor.

More than $4.4M in funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been awarded to 95 community organizations around the country. Through this program, grants ranging from $2,500 to $500,000 were provided to increase the number and quality of opportunities for physically or visually impaired Veterans to participate in physical activity within their home communities and in more advanced Paralympic sport programs at the regional and national levels.

“This funding is already having a tremendous impact on disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “Through the USOC/Veterans Affairs partnership many community programs have been able to expand their programming and provide increased opportunities for Veterans to participate.”

The City of Colorado Springs Therapeutic Recreation Program was officially designated a Paralympic Sport Club in July 2008 by U.S. Paralympics. As a Paralympic Sport Club, the Therapeutic Recreation Program provides club sport programs, Paralympic Academies, and sport clinics. For more information, visit www.SpringsGov.com/TR.