BANFF – A three-year financial pledge will see $300,000 go to the Rocky Mountain Adaptive to help break down barriers for adaptive sports.
The Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation announced the pledge to the Bow Valley organization earlier this month.
The pledge will see $100,000 go to the Rocky Mountain Adaptive (RMA) annually from 2021-23.
“This support from the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation means we can accelerate our programming and welcome more people to develop a love for mountain sports, no matter their abilities,” said Jamie McCulloch, the executive director of RMA in a media release. “It helps us significantly bring down socio-economic barriers as well as physical ones.”
This year will see $25,000 go to the U-Can Try It program, which helps first-time skiers and snowboarders adapt to the sports in the Rocky Mountains. The remaining $75,000 will aid RMA in purchasing a customized vehicle that will help transport people with disabilities from Calgary and area to Rocky Mountains.
RMA offers year-round multi-sport mountain experiences for people who live with disabilities. There are multiple programs available and multi-week camps. The organization’s mission is to help all people of all ages who live with physical, intellectual, cognitive or developmental challenges to participate, learn and excel in sport and recreation activities in the Rocky Mountains.
The Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation was created in 2013 as a private organization that is primarily funded by Banff Caribou Properties Ltd. and Banff Lodging Company. The goal is to support projects in Banff that help promote a more active, vibrant and healthy community.
“The experiences Rocky Mountain Adaptive provides are life changing for many people,” said Cathy Geisler, the executive director of the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation. “We share their commitment to supporting an active, vibrant and healthy community.”
