VA gives $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee?

Good idea? Maybe but when you consider how many charities are already doing sports programs, this does not make much sense. How many times have you read on this blog about programs doing exactly the same thing the Olympic Committee wants to do? For these charities, $7.5 million would go a long way since they already have established programs.

Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans Expanding


VA Awards $7.5 Million to U.S. Olympic Committee for Therapeutic Competitive Events




WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding two
grants totaling $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee to enhance
recreation and sporting activities for disabled Veterans and disabled
members of the Armed Forces.

"Many of our Veterans have experienced traumatic injuries while at the
peak of their physical conditioning," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki. "Our partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee will
aid in their recovery by allowing them to engage in therapeutic sporting
events and competition right in their own communities."

Additionally, Christopher J. Nowak has been selected to be the director
of the VA Paralympics Program Office.

Under terms of the grant agreements, funding will be provided to the
Olympic Committee's member organizations, Paralympic sports clubs and
Veteran and military organizations nationwide to implement
community-based, physical activity programs for disabled Veterans and
disabled members of the Armed Forces. Disabled Veterans can locate
adaptive sporting events in their communities by visiting the U.S.
Paralympics Web site: www.usparalympics.org.

Public Law 110-389 authorized VA to award grants to the U.S. Olympic
Committee to plan, manage and implement an adaptive sports program.

"This support from Veterans Affairs will have far reaching impact in
communities around the country," said Charlie Huebner, chief of U.S.
Paralympics. "We know that sports and physical activity can have a
transformative effect on those with a physical disability."

"These funds will help our community partners to expand and provide
greater access to sports programs for injured Veterans, disabled members
of the Armed Forces and all living in their local area with a physical
disability," Huebner added.

Since 1999, Nowak has served as a prosthetics manager for VA
Healthcare Veterans Integrated Service Network 4, which includes
Pennsylvania, Delaware and parts of West Virginia, New Jersey and New
York. A 17-year veteran of VA, he directs a $92-million budget and all
prosthetics operations for 10 VA medical centers.

Nowak joined the Marine Corps 1983. His military career ended in 1987,
when the then-infantry squad leader lost his right leg to friendly fire
during a routine training exercise. He is a champion of sports
rehabilitation for wounded soldiers and Veterans. He has developed and
co-chaired "First Swing" and "Next Step" golf clinics for amputee
Veterans and is a former member of the USA Amputee Hockey Team.