Jan. 19, 2012 - Parks and Recreation Department’s EXPAND Paralympic Sport Club receives $20,000 grant

Contact:
Shelly Ruspakka, Parks and Recreation, 303-413-7214
Sarah Huntley, Media Relations, 303-441-3155

Parks and Recreation Department’s EXPAND Paralympic Sport Club receives $20,000 grant

The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s EXPAND (EXciting Programs Adventures and New Dimensions) Paralympic Sport Club has been selected to receive a $20,000 grant from the U.S. Paralympic Team. The funding comes from a federal award given by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

EXPAND is one of 95 organizations selected to receive the grant. The money will be used to enhance EXPAND’s wheelchair racing program for veterans and members of the armed forces who have disabilities.

“Together we can improve the lives of countless Coloradoans,” said Jennifer Heilveil, EXPAND program coordinator. “With this collaboration, EXPAND can continue its mission of providing adaptive sport opportunities and recreation programs that foster self-esteem, improve health and improve injured military personnel’s lives.”

Through this program, grants ranging from $2,500 to $500,000 were provided to USOC partner organizations and community programs 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.

“We couldn’t be happier with this latest round of grants awarded to these new partner organizations,” said Chris Nowak, Veterans Affairs’ National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events director. “These grants provide more outlets for our disabled veterans and injured service men and women to stay active, and perhaps, ultimately, the opportunity to take their athleticism to the next level of competition as a U.S. Paralympian.”

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

For more information, call Shelly Ruspakka, Parks and Recreation, at 303-413-7214.

More information about EXPAND

The EXciting Programs Adventures and New Dimensions (EXPAND) program helps people who have disabilities improve and gain new recreation and leisure skills that will enhance participants' overall well-being and their quality of life.

Last Updated on Friday, 15 June 2012 08:07