Rochester Accessible Adventures (RAA) has received one of forty $5,000 MTN DEW Outdoor Grants in support of the organization’s ongoing commitment to champion access by people with disabilities to the great outdoors. Based in Rochester and serving the Greater Rochester, Finger Lakes and WNY regions, Rochester Accessible Adventures is a 501c3 nonprofit that improves the health and wellness of people with disabilities by guiding communities to create a culture of physical accessibility, social inclusion, and equitable open access in recreation, sports, and tourism. As an organization that is passionate about the outdoors, RAA believes it is crucial that we all do our part to preserve the lands we love and enable all people to get outside and experience the health and wellness benefits provided by outdoor recreation.
RAA is planning to use the $5,000 grant to expand access to the outdoor experience for people with disabilities. In keeping with their overarching goal to transform how recreation is provided so that people with and without disabilities can participate together, they will partner with key community entities in the Greater Rochester area to engage in their Community Health Inclusion model so that more people with disabilities can participate in the activities those organizations promote. The physical, social, and emotional benefits of outdoor recreation are well known, as are the physical and social barriers that exist for people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities to participate in outdoor recreation, and RAA is committed to removing those barriers and increasing access to the outdoor experience.
“To be recognized by MTN DEW and our local community for our work and commitment to the outdoors is very special,” said Anita O’Brien, Executive Director of Rochester Accessible Adventures. “We are so excited to receive a $5,000 grant to help us set in motion our Get Outdoors! movement towards true inclusion of children, youth, and adults with disabilities in outdoor activities in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region during a time when it matters most.”
RAA is one of 40 non-profits to receive a grant through the MTN DEW Outdoor Grants program. The effort by MTN DEW is part of a long-term commitment to help community organizations across the U.S. who have faced funding and volunteer participation challenges due to the ongoing pandemic, and to provide outdoor enthusiasts with more access to the great outdoors by helping remove some of the key barriers. The brand has donated more than $1.25 million to fuel outdoor passions to-date.
To learn about RAA, visit www.RochesterAccessibleAdventures.org. For more information about the MTN DEW Outdoor Grants program and the other 39 grant recipients, visit www.DEWOutdoorGrants.com.
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