Dralla Foundation is making more unforgettable days possible starting later this year in Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, and New York, via its grant awards program.
The recipients of Dralla’s 2021 grant awards are Catalyst Sports, Friends of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Foundation, Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA), and STRIDE Adaptive Sports.
These grants will be used to fund two adaptive mountain bike experiences, a Paralympic track and field experience, and an outdoor sled hockey event.
Adaptive Mountain Biking
One of the adaptive mountain biking experiences will take place in Knoxville, Tenn, and the other will take place in Greensboro, NC. These are both part of a greater tour, the Greensboro leg being the newest location and the ninth city on the Catalyst Sports Tour. Children, adults, and veterans affected by physical disabilities will receive a comfortable, adaptive bicycle, a fellow participant, and four trained volunteers to accompany them on their ride through local mountain bike trails. This will allow members of the community who have been previously unable to access mountain biking trails to engage in a meaningful outdoor recreation activity.
Paralympic Track and Field
The Paralympic Track and Field Experience is a full day of events that welcomes youth, teen, and adult participants. Attendees, depending on their functional ability, will have the chance to try Paralympic track and field events including javelin, discus, and shotput, wheelchair and ambulatory track, long jump, and high jump. Other events will include conditioning sessions and a lunchtime panel discussion with past and current Paralympic athletes, some of whom began their athletic training at GLASA.
The clinic’s second day, Performance in Track and Field, will be by invitation only for participants who have an interest in training more competitively, with Paralympic competition as a possible goal.
Outdoor Sled Hockey
The outdoor sled hockey event will take place on Crooked Lake in New York. Every player will have the chance to play “pond hockey” in an outdoor tournament similar to the NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic game. Pond hockey is a throwback to the birth of the sport, and the nostalgia has made the NHL Winter Classic a favorite among players and fans. An opportunity like this to connect with and experience hockey’s roots has never been available to sled hockey players with physical disabilities in the Northeast, Dralla Foundation notes.
Dralla Foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2022 grant in January. The submission deadline is February 1, 2022, and the awards will be announced in May.
For more information on Dralla’s Grant Program and the organizations supported by the foundation, visit Dralla Foundation.
Dralla Foundation was founded by Peter Allard, President of Allard USA, manufacturer of orthopedic devices designed to improve physical function and enhance the quality of life for individuals with physical challenges. The testimonials of the wearers of these devices inspired Peter to give back to individuals with mobility issues. Dralla Foundation awards grants each year to select nonprofits that are aligned with its mission.
[Source: Dralla Foundation]
