Dear Bridge Community,
In reflecting on 2024, I am awestruck at the incredible progress The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation made in 12 months. Thanks to your support, we’ve expanded opportunities for athletes of all abilities, built new partnerships, and strengthened our foundation for future growth.
Our equipment fleet has grown significantly this past year, thanks to the generosity of supporters like the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the James A. and Martha R. Brown Charitable Foundation and private donors. We acquired three new power soccer chairs to kickstart one of the only competitive programs for power wheelchair users in Cincinnati. We received 13 new racing wheelchairs and seven new handcycles ready to be used in the Flying Pig 10K Handcycling race. The racing wheelchairs will also be available for use by high school athletes to compete, helping to create a pipeline to the University of Cincinnati’s newly minted Adaptive Athletics program. To facilitate getting these pieces of equipment out to the community, we acquired a company vehicle, a trailer and an expanded storage space that accommodates fitting individuals with the right cycle or chair.
This year, we focused on strengthening partnerships to ensure more opportunities for adaptive sport and engaging with inclusive communities were available to our athletes. In this regard, we became Ohio River Paddlefest’s Accessibility Partner, marking an event milestone as our first three adaptive paddlers crossed the finish line of the short race. In collaboration with Adventure Crew, we’re working to grow this into more adaptive paddling opportunities in 2025. Our adaptive soccer clinic, in partnership with Team IMPACT, welcomed over 60 athletes from five disability soccer groups, including new friends from USA Deaf Soccer and Cincinnati Amputee Soccer. We helped Perfect North Slopes double the number of adaptive lessons they provide in a year. In track and field, we hosted our inaugural showcase with over 25 athletes trying frame runners, racing wheelchairs, and seated shot put. We increased our number of athletes crossing the finish line at the Flying Pig 10K and partnered with Girls on the Run Greater Cincinnati to increase accessibility during their Fall 5K.
Lastly, we set our sights on long term sustainability. Our most ambitious supporter, Joe Motz, completely changed our trajectory through his “Paddle for a Purpose” initiative. By paddling over 2,000 miles so far, Joe raised awareness and critical funds to help us get out of survival mode and into a place where we can strategically address the community’s needs for years to come. We were able to hire a full-time Operations Manager and a part-time Creative Communications Manager, leading to more consistent and effective communication and access to our programming. By bringing these two crucial roles to our organization, we’ve become more efficient in delivering on our mission’s promise to connect people with disabilities to adaptive sports and recreation in Greater Cincinnati.
Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Your support has made all the difference, and we look forward to continuing to build bridges to inclusion and opportunity in 2025 and beyond. As always, it doesn’t have to be easy, it just has to be possible. YOU make it possible.
With gratitude,
Danny Meyer, DPT
Executive Director
Opmerkingen