Ashburn, Va., Dec. 16, 2009 - The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) in partnership with U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), announced today the recipients of NRPA's 2009 USOC Paralympic Grant Initiative.

NRPA awarded $150,000 in grants to 12 park and recreation agencies in the U.S. to expand local community programs and opportunities for injured military personnel and people with physical disabilities. The twelve agencies, operating in ten states, will receive funds ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 for purposes, including but not limited to: Paralympic programs, adaptive equipment, training and education of staff/program leaders, program enhancements, and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance for enhancing recreation experiences. A total of 126 park and recreation agencies submitted applications for the grant program this year.

The 2009 NRPA USOC Paralympic Grant recipients are:

Organization NameCityStateGrant Award

City of Boulder Parks and Recreation DepartmentBoulderColo.$15,000

Groton Parks and RecreationNoankConn.$12,000

City of Tampa Parks and Recreation DepartmentTampaFla.$10,000

Montgomery County Department of RecreationSilver SpringMd.$8,500

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation DepartmentFayettevilleN.C.$25,000

City of Reno Parks, Recreation and Community ServicesRenoNev.$6,000

Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services/Adaptive DivisionLas VegasNev.$6,500

City of Eugene Adaptive Recreation ServicesEugeneOre.$6,000

Richland County Recreation CommissionColumbiaS.C.$10,000

Austin Parks & Recreation DepartmentAustinTexas$18,000

Houston Parks and Recreation DepartmentHoustonTexas$21,000

Fairfax County Community and Recreation ServicesFairfaxVa.$12,000

Total $150,000


NRPA placed decision-making emphasis on agencies with an already-established community need for military-inclusion programming and expansion, as well as those that could provide daily physical-activity programming for injured service members. Currently, more than 35,000 of the 21 million physically-disabled Americans are military personnel who have been injured during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Through NRPA's USOC Paralympic Grant Initiative for military inclusion programming, we are providing what is a critical need for many local communities across the United States," said Barbara Tulipane, chief executive officer of NRPA. "In addition to supporting recovering service members in grant recipient cities, we hope this program will serve to encourage further support for military inclusion programming throughout the country."

"This is an important investment in our partners and the future of Paralympic programming," said Stephanie Streeter, acting chief executive officer, USOC. "Together, we can impact and expand sports programming for people with physical disabilities and injured service members in communities across the country."

For more information on NRPA's military inclusion initiatives, contact Heidi Melancon, senior manager of strategic health initiatives, at (703) 858-4730 or hmelancon@nrpa.org.

About the National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Associationis a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of some 21,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources.

Headquartered in Ashburn, Va., NRPA works closely with local, state, and national recreation and park agencies, citizen groups and corporations to carry out its objectives. Priorities include advocating favorable legislation and public policy; continuing education for park and recreation professionals and citizens; providing professional certification, university accreditation, research and technical assistance; and, increasing public awareness of the importance of parks and recreation. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrec-magazine.org. />
About the U.S. Olympic Committee

Since its formation in 2001, U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, has been inspiring Americans to achieve their dreams. Through education, sports programs and partnerships with community organizations, medical facilities and government agencies, U.S. Paralympics is making a difference in the lives of thousand of physically disabled people every day. To learn more about U.S. Paralympics, please visit www.usparalympics.org. />
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This U.S. Paralympics Grant Initiative is sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director, Office of Administration and Management. The content of this promotional material does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.