Building the Dream
Posted On: Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The holiday season is almost upon us, that time of year when everything seems to turn into a whirlwind of activity. Here at SMILE Mass we are incredibly busy too, and while we all may be a bit tired, we are also extremely excited about what we have in the works.
Thanks to our grant from the Cummings Foundation, we are taking the final steps to launch an inclusive fitness program to enable people with disabilities and their families to workout together. As the Centers for Disease Control rightly notes, fitness is for everybody, but ask yourself: when was the last time you saw someone with a disability at your local gym? Our adaptive fitness program will give participants the opportunity to improve their physical wellbeing by working with trained coaches while their family members pursue their own fitness goals. As with our other programs, our aim is to offer programming within, not outside of, the broader community.
Another project in the works is a major expansion of our floating beach wheelchair program in Connecticut. We have forged many wonderful connections with people eager to expand access to the state’s beaches, and are especially grateful for the support of State Senator Heather Somers. Already this year, SMILE Mass has donated three beach wheelchairs to the communities of Fairfield, Norwalk and Westport, and our goal is to get 40 to 60 floating chairs on the beaches by the end of next summer.
Our adaptive fitness program and the expansion of our beach wheelchair program in Connecticut will enable us to not only expand our offerings and our reach, but, more importantly, further our mission of making barrier-free recreational and vacation experiences available to all.
As we progress through this beautiful and busy time of year, take some time to pause, relax and have fun!
~Lotte
