WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Paralyzed Veterans of America are proud to announce that Good Shepherd Penn Partners will serve as a Platinum Sponsor for the 34th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, which begin today in Philadelphia with events that include track, field, tennis and basketball, and continue through Sunday, August 17.
“The support of our sponsors is vital to putting on this important rehabilitative event for our veterans. We thank Good Shepherd Penn Partners for their support of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and for their commitment to our veteran wheelchair athletes,” said Al Kovach, national president of Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Good Shepherd Penn Partners will also serve as one of the event host sponsors for the field competitions.
“Our therapists often emphasize how sports can aid individuals in their rehabilitation following an injury,” said Lisa Marsilio, executive director for Good Shepherd Penn Partners. “We are excited to help support an event like the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, one that celebrates the role sports plays in the lives of our wounded veterans.”
The National Veterans Wheelchair Games, presented annually by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Paralyzed Veterans of America, are open to all U.S. military veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition as a result of spinal cord injury, certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments, and are focused on providing therapeutic, holistic treatments through adaptive sports. “These Games are empowering veterans with disabilities to improve their lives through sports and recreation,” said Dave Tostenrude, Director of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. “The athletes return home with the attitude and information of what they can do, versus, what they cannot.”
Veterans at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games will compete in 18 events: air guns, archery, basketball, boccia, bowling, field, handcycling, a motorized wheelchair rally, nine ball, power soccer, quad rugby, slalom, softball, swimming, table tennis, track, trapshooting and weightlifting. This year’s Wheelchair Games will also feature an exhibition of wheelchair lacrosse. Athletes compete in all events against others with similar athletic ability, competitive experience or age. All events are free and open to the public to attend.
For more information about the 34th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, please visit www.wheelchairgames.org.
Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded by a group of seriously injured American heroes from the “Greatest Generation” of World War II. They created a nonprofit organization to meet the challenges that they faced back in the 1940s — from a medical community not ready to treat them to an inaccessible world. For more than 68 years, Paralyzed Veterans’ national office and its 34 chapters across the nation have been making America a better place for all veterans and people with disabilities. (www.pva.org)
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events is the recognized world leader in rehabilitative and recreational therapies for disabled Veterans. VA promotes the rehabilitation of body and spirit by operating adaptive sports clinics and competitions around the nation. Learn more about VA's adaptive sports programs and partnerships at www.va.gov/adaptivesports.
