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The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department’s Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion (TRI) unit has been awarded a $102,462 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under the Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for veterans and service members with disabilities (ASG Program). The funds will help to increase and expand the department’s adaptive sports opportunities for veterans.
“This grant will do wonders for the veterans in our community who’ve sacrificed so much on our behalf,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “When we ask people to protect us, we must commit to protecting them upon their return. Our Parks Department’s adaptive sports initiative will assist many of our wounded veterans recover and reclaim their lives.”
The goals and objectives of the grant program include providing adaptive sport activities designed to enhance the rehabilitative, therapeutic, and whole life health of veterans and service members from recreational through elite levels of competition.
The VA reports there are 19 million veterans living in the United States, with 1.49 million in Florida alone. The VA notes that many veterans of recent wars report episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and have a wide variety of physical disabilities. Multiple VA studies have concluded that when veterans with varying disabilities regularly participate in adaptive sports and recreation activities, they experience vast improvements in their overall wellbeing.
“We are honored that Miami-Dade Parks has received this generous grant award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These much-needed funds will allow us to provide more adaptive sports programming for local veterans with disabilities, to improve their physical and mental health, and help build their self-esteem, so they can live happier and healthier lives,” said Gisel Prado, manager, Miami-Dade Parks Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion.
In September, the VA awarded $16 million in grant awards to 105 national, regional, and community programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Information about the awardees and details of the program may be found at www.va.gov/adaptivesports and @Sports4Vets on social media.
Miami-Dade Parks Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion offers the following adaptive sports clinics: archery, boccia, fishing, hand-cycling, trap shooting, kayaking, waterskiing, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair softball, pickleball, and aquatics. Upon completion of the sports clinics, participants will have the opportunity to continue in the activities free of charge (excluding trap shooting).
Many participants take part in Miami-Dade Parks’ annual Adaptive Sports Experience, as well as regional and national sports events. They also receive mentorship from the Parks Department’s own Mi-ami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team that competes in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA).
Partners include the Leisure Access Foundation, therapists from the Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, the Miami Veterans Medical Center, the Paralyzed Veterans of America Florida Chapter, Biscayne National Park, The Wounded Warrior Project, Miami-Dade County ECO Adventures, the Miami Vet Center, the Veteran’s Services Coalition of Miami-Dade County, and Ann’s Angels Adaptive Waterski Foundation.
For more information about Miami-Dade Parks’ Veterans Adapted Sports Program, contact Randall Flagler, CTRS, CPRP at 786-626-7980 or Randall.Flagler@miamidade.gov.
Miami-Dade County Parks’ Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion unit promotes the involvement of persons with disabilities in all Miami-Dade County Parks’ services and activities. The unit trains persons with physical and visual impairments desiring to engage in recreational and competitive adaptive sports. For more information visit www.miami-dade.gov/parks/accessibility-paralympic-sports.asp.
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