VA Announces Winter Sports Clinic

[travisab1]

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VA Teaches Disabled Veterans To Ski

WASHINGTON (Jan. 27, 2003) - Approximately 350 disabled military veterans
will ski the Rocky Mountains at the 18th National Disabled Veterans Winter
Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village at Aspen, Colo., April 4 to April 9.

This rehabilitation program is open to all U.S. military veterans with
spinal cord injury or disease, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic
amputations, visual impairments or other disabilities, who receive care at
any Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility.

This year, for the first time, veterans from the current combat operation in
Iraq will attend. Veterans from operations in Afghanistan, who have
participated in earlier Winter Clinics, will also participate.

Sponsored by VA and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the clinic is
hosted by the Grand Junction (Colo.) VA Medical Center and VA's Rocky
Mountain Network.

At the clinic, disabled veterans will learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic
skiing and will be introduced to a variety of other adaptive activities and
sports, such as rock climbing, scuba diving, handcycling, horseback riding,
snowmobiling and sled hockey. The U.S. Secret Service will also teach
self-defense.

"VA's national rehabilitation special events help veterans to reach their
full potential and achieve independence," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Anthony J. Principi. "We are honored to welcome Iraqi Freedom veterans to
this year's event."

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic shows that the lives of
disabled veterans can be changed forever when they discover the
extraordinary challenges they can overcome. This experience has been
described by participants as "miracles on a mountainside."

"The Disabled American Veterans is proud to have co-sponsored the National
Disabled Veterans Winter Sports clinic since 1991," said DAV National
Commander Allan W. Bowers. "The clinic is a wonderful example of DAV's
ongoing commitment to the brave men and women disabled in service to our
nation. It is also an excellent example of partnering with VA to deliver
the services disabled veterans have earned, and to support their
rehabilitation efforts."

VA is a recognized leader in rehabilitation, with recreational therapy
programs at each of its 162 hospitals. DAV is a nonprofit, congressionally
chartered veterans service organization, with a membership of more than one
million wartime disabled veterans.

For further information about the Clinic, contact Annie Tuttle, VA Public
Affairs Coordinator, at (909) 422-3193, or Jim Hall, DAV Communications, at
(877) 426-2838, ext. 2048.

I thought some, if not all Veteran's would like to know about this.

Regards,
Travis