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The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion (TRI) unit has received a grant award of $136,520 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 unit’s adaptive sports opportunities for veterans.
“This grant is one of the many ways we can honor and celebrate our Miami-Dade servicemen and women for their valor, bravery, and selflessness,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are committed to protecting and supporting our veterans, and these programs through these programs we help many of our wounded veterans recover and reclaim their lives.”
The purpose of the grant program includes providing adaptive sport activities designed to enhance the rehabilitative, therapeutic, and whole life health of veterans and service members across the complete spectrum of adaptive sport activities – from recreational through elite levels of competition.
“Miami-Dade Parks is honored to receive this generous grant award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Maria I. Nardi, Miami-Dade Parks director. “These funds allow us to provide more adaptive sports programming for local veterans with disabilities and enable these heroes to improve their physical and mental health and help build their self-esteem for living happier and healthier lives, through parks and park programs.”
Miami-Dade Parks Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion currently offers these adaptive sports clinics: Archery, Boccia, Bowling, Disc Golf, Fishing, Golf, Hand-cycling, Trap Shooting, Kayaking, Table Tennis, Waterskiing, Wheelchair Softball, Pickleball, and Aquatics. Upon completion of the sports clinics, participants will have the opportunity to continue in most of these activities free of charge.
Many program 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 Miami HEAT Wheels wheelchair basketball team that competes in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA).
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.
The 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. Programming 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, Miami Vet Center, Veteran’s Services Coalition of Miami-Dade County, and Ann’s Angels Adaptive Waterski Foundation.
The VA reports there are 18 million veterans living in the United States, with 1.43 million veterans in Florida alone. The VA notes that many veterans of recent years’ combats reported episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and had a wide variety of physical disabilities, including amputations and visual impairments. Various studies by the VA, throughout the years, also conclude that when veterans with varying disabilities regularly participated in adaptive sports and recreation activities, they experienced vast improvements in their overall well-being.
In September, the VA awarded $16 million in grant awards to 91 national, regional and community programs with reach to 30 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.
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