Buckeye Veteran Wheelchair Games provides hope for adaptive athletes
PRESS RELEASE
April 18, 2024
CLEVELAND , OH — The largest annual wheelchair sports competition in Ohio, this event offers sports competition to Veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neurological diseases.
More than 50 Veterans from across Ohio will assemble this week to compete in the annual Buckeye Wheelchair Games April 19 and 20 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Buckeye Veteran Wheelchair Games are supported by a partnership between the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and the Paralyzed Veterans of America – Buckeye Chapter, with the mission to improve the quality of life for Veterans with disabilities and promote physical and mental health improvement through sports competition.
The Games provide Veterans with physical disabilities an introductory experience to a variety of wheelchair sports and recreation activities and help Veterans become aware of their abilities and potential while promoting a spirit of healthy camaraderie and the therapeutic value of sports. The Games not only provide a rigorous challenge and friendly competition, but they are specifically designed to promote rehabilitation for Veterans. A large component of these games is the camaraderie and fellowship fostered between the athletes.
What: Buckeye Games, Veteran wheelchair sporting competition
Events: Track & Field Events, Air Rifle, Billiards, Archery, Weightlifting, Swimming, Table Tennis, and more.
When: April 19, 2024: Various events – 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
April 20, 2024: Various events – 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: SPIRE Institute, 5201 Spire Circle, Geneva, Ohio
The community is encouraged to attend, including media, elected officials, Veteran Service Organization leaders and volunteers. An awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. at which time athletes will receive medals won in the competition.
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*News media is invited to attend for photo-ops and interviews with athletes and key leadership of the sponsoring organizations.
Contact Damien Horvath, VA Public Affairs Officer, at 216-339-5240, or Damien.Horvath@va.gov to coordinate coverage.
ABOUT VA NORTHEAST OHIO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: Focusing on treating the whole Veteran through health promotion and disease prevention, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System provides comprehensive, seamless health care and social services for more than 134,000 Veterans across Northeast Ohio. With 17 locations of care, including 12 outpatient clinics, two community resource and referral centers, a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center, a chronic dialysis center, and an outpatient surgery center, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System’s quality services are easily accessible to Veterans in 21 counties. VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System also contributes to the future of medicine through education, training, and research programs.
For more information about programs and services offered by VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, visit www.cleveland.va.gov or follow us on Facebook @ClevelandVAMC.
