September 2021 Newsletter
Fall is near, which means great weather to get outdoors and get active. SportsAbility Alliance has both in-person and virtual activities coming to you this season. Be sure to check our calendar, subscribe to our newsletter emails and follow us on social media to be the first to hear about accessible, inclusive recreation opportunities.
 Executive Director's Message: Big Kahuna, Kickball and more
Laurie LoRe-Gussak, MBA, IOM, CAE
 Founder's Message: Fodder from the Founder
David C. Jones
I was recently honored with the opportunity to participate in a ribbon cutting celebration, and invited to be aboard the maiden voyage of a brand-new wheelchair accessible glass bottom boat that was custom built and being put into service at Silver Springs State Park near Ocala. This project was initiated by a past encounter that Paula Russo had with a grandmother who was visiting the springs with several of her grandchildren. She was unhappy because she wanted the kids to enjoy the experience of the tour of the springs like she had done years earlier. She couldn’t do it, so they didn’t either.
Events & Activities
Big Kahuna
Big Kahuna is a fundraising event for SportsAbility Alliance to support inclusive and accessible recreation and wellness programs for people of all ages and abilities. This event has a brand new format this year, we now have 2 races:
- the Big Kahuna ("Big Chief") race for teams/groups - 1 person will be chosen as the team's "Champion" to race
- the Big Kāpena ("Big Captain") race for individuals
Instead of teams of people in a big canoe, single paddlers in kayaks will compete for the best time. All racers will be video recorded, which will be streamed at a later date. Winners will be announced on the video stream.
Miracle Sports
Kickball - Join us for some in-person kickball at Miracle Field (Messer Park, Tallahassee). We play Thursday evenings starting September 9. Everyone is welcome to play!
Recent Articles
Gordon Palmer currently serves as the president of the Board of Directors for SportsAbility Alliance (formerly Florida Disabled Outdoors Association). Since FDOA was founded in 1990, Gordon has been involved as a participant, volunteer, and board member.
The nature prescriptions that doctors have chosen to write are to help with overall health. Whether you walk, run, hike, bike, swim or even sit down to take in the environment or fresh air, being outside for 20 minutes can help improve your mood and well-being (Ducharme, 2019).
What are you doing to stay active?
Post it on social media and tag us!
Information for People with a Spinal Cord Injury: English | Spanish
Information for People with a Brain Injury: English | Spanish
Donate to Support Inclusive Recreation
Suggested Donation:
Give $31 for our 31 years of supporting inclusive recreation for all ages and abilities.
Any donation amount appreciated.
Donations may also be mailed to:
SportsAbility Alliance
3035 Eliza Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
FDOA (dba SportsAbility Alliance) gratefully accepts tax deductible donations and in-kind gifts as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. (Federal ID# 59-3051552)
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Leadership Spotlight: Gordon Palmer
