Activities for disabled veterans expanding

Department of Veteran Affairs Public Affairs

WASHINGTON — Department of Veterans Affairs officials are awarding two grants totaling $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee to enhance recreation and sporting activities for disabled veterans and disabled members of the armed forces.

“Many of our veterans have experienced traumatic injuries while at the peak of their physical conditioning,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Our partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee will aid in their recovery by allowing them to engage in therapeutic sporting events and competition right in their own communities.”

Under terms of the grant agreements, funding will be provided to the Olympic Committee’s member organizations, Paralympic sports clubs and veteran and military organizations nationwide to implement community-based, physical activity programs for disabled veterans and disabled members of the armed forces. Disabled veterans can locate adaptive sporting events in their communities at http://www.usparalympics.org.

Public Law 110-389 authorized VA officials to award grants to the U.S. Olympic Committee to plan, manage and implement an adaptive sports program.

“This support from Veterans Affairs will have far reaching impact in communities around the country,” said Charlie Huebner, the chief of U.S. Paralympics. “We know that sports and physical activity can have a transformative effect on those with a physical disability.

“These funds will help our community partners to expand and provide greater access to sports programs for injured veterans, disabled members of the armed forces and all living in their local area with a physical disability,” Huebner said.

Additionally, Christopher J. Nowak has been selected to be the director of the VA Paralympics Program Office.