Senators Collins, King Announce $117,872 to Support Adaptive Athletic Training for Disabled Veterans

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that two Maine organizations – Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports in Lyman and Pineland Farms in New Gloucester – will receive a total of $117,872 to develop adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in partnership with other local organizations.

“When the men and women who have fought for our country return home, we must ensure that they have the resources they need to ease their transition,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “Adaptive sports programs are an important therapeutic tool that can improve participants’ physical and psychological health and enhance their quality of life. We are pleased that more disabled Maine veterans will have access to these programs through this funding.”
The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Adaptive Sports Program for disabled veterans. According to the VA, 90 programs across the country received grants, and approximately 10,000 veterans and servicemembers are expected to benefit. The Maine programs receiving grants are as follows:

• Pineland Farms in New Gloucester will receive a total of $65,772 to develop adaptive training for skiing, basketball, tennis, snowshoeing, archery, cycling, disc golf, boccia, and fishing. Pineland Farms is developing these programs in partnership with VA Maine, Sanford Vet Center, Maine Veterans Home, Maine Adaptive Sports, New England Nordic Ski Association, U.S. Paralympics, Wood River, Vet 2 Vet, YMCA, University of New Hampshire, University of Southern Maine, Summit Project, and Montachusetts Veterans Outreach Center.

• Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports in Lyman will receive a total of $52,100 to develop adaptive programs in therapeutic riding, dressage, and paradriving. Carlisle Academy is developing these programs in partnership with Sanford Vet Center, U.S. Equestrian Federation, Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), and the Albiston Foundation.