Opening Day Event & Games start on October 2, 2010 st the new Baseball Field located at the Sports Complex of the Charlie Norwood Uptown VA Medical Center located at 1 Freedom Way, Augusta, GA.

Now registering children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities to play Miracle League Baseball.

Register at any FamilyY location or online at www.thefamilyy.org.  For more information, call 706-922-9597. 

3067 Washington Rd
Augusta, GA 30907  from  4pm-6pm.

If interested in participating please email us at mbishop@cmfa.us or call us at 706-364-2422.

This is a free event for all participants!

Come out and join the fun!! Can’t wait to see you there.

Mount Vintage Plantation and Golf Course

August 30 – September 5, 2010

CMFA Event Overview  As part of the week long activities, CMFA is helping facilitate two major events:
 
1. Wednesday, September 1: Morning Pro Am. “Disabled Military/Pro Challenge”. This event is FREE to all physically disabled active duty military or veterans. Teams of four will be paired with one Pro.
2. Wednesday, September 1: Afternoon Pro Am. “Battle of the Warriors” Fundraiser. Any one can play; teams of four will be paired with one Pro. Proceeds to benefit CMFA. $250 per person, $1,000 per team. Awards given to the three lowest scoring teams.
 
Several ways to give:
1. Sponsorship of the tournament. There are several different sponsorship opportunities available, ranging from “Presenting Sponsor” ($15,000) of the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic to Hole Sponsor ($100). Many sponsorships also include spots to play in the Wednesday afternoon Pro Am, the “Battle of the Warriors”  *** Please note that print media for sponsorships is no longer available, with the exception of banners.  (TV and Radio spots are still applicable.)
2. Play in the Wednesday afternoon Pro Am. Teams of four can play with a Pro for $1,000 or individuals can play for $250.
3. “Sponsor a Soldier”. For $250, we will reserve a spot for one veteran, or active duty military personnel to play in the Battle of the Warriors.

TO PLAY IN THE MORNING OR AFTERNOON PRO-AMS, OR TO SPONSOR, PLEASE CALL US at 706.364.2422 or SEND AN EMAIL TO llawson@cmfa.us.

For a list of sponsorship opportunites, click here. (To see details on individual sponsorships, please view the tournament packet through the link below.)

Click here for more information on the MORNING Pro-Am, the “Disabled Military/Pro Challenge”. (Must be a disabled veteran or active duty military personnel only to participate in this event.)

For more information on playing in the AFTERNOON Pro-Am, “Battle of the Warriors” click here.

To view the entire tournament packet, including a schedule of weekly events and event/sponsorship descriptions, please click here.

 
Contact Leila Lawson at Champions Made from Adversity  706.364.2422 or email llawson@cmfa.us

CMFA was recently featured in a article by Donnie Fetter, a news editor for The Columbia County News-Times:

A group of disabled athletes recently took on some River Ridge Elementary teachers in a game of wheelchair basketball. The exercise was more than just finding out which team could sink the most baskets, it capped off a week-long event at the school to ease pupils’ comfort level around those with handicaps.

Athletes with Champions Made from Adversity and special needs teachers from River Ridge teamed up to show pupils that the handicapped are quite capable in many ways.

“We wanted to show the students that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that they’re that much different from anybody else,” said Heather Hummell, a special education teacher who helped organize “Walk a Mile in My Shoes: Increasing Disability Awareness and Understanding” at River Ridge. “We all have families. We all have dreams.”

Jeanette Thompson’s dream is to compete in shotput and discus at the next Paralympics, an Olympic-style athletic event for the disabled. She was among the disabled athletes from CMFA who soundly defeated the teachers earlier this month.

“Be the change in society you know is not right,” Thompson told River Ridge pupils following the game. “Even though we’re in wheelchairs, we can still do amazing things.”

A former sergeant in the U.S. Army, Thompson lost the use of her legs following an improvised explosive device attack in 2008 while serving in the Middle East. She moved to Augusta more than a year ago with her four children to rehabilitate at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

During rehab, she learned of CMFA and it changed her life.

“I want to be a hero to my children,” she said. “I hope I can be a hero to all children, to show them that just because I’m in a wheelchair doesn’t mean I can’t still do great things.”

By exposing pupils to the disabled at the elementary level, Hummel said they can grow up with a greater respect for the disabled.

As part of the special week held May 3-7 at the school, which also included learning about autism, learning disabilities, and visual and hearing impairments, River Ridge teachers conducted pupil surveys before and after their visits with the disabled athletes.

Prior to “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” week, 74 percent of surveyed pupils believed those with disabilities are the same in many ways as those without them. That percentage jumped to 85 in the post-survey.

Other gains were noted from the pre- and post-survey regarding pupils’ opinions of the disabled’s intelligence as well as their comfort level around those with disabilities.

“Children are very open,” Thompson said. “They’ll ask questions adults won’t about what happened to us, which we don’t mind.

“That’s why it’s good to get them now, so they know it’s OK to ask, so they learn that we’re still just people.”

Written by Donnie Fetter
News Editor for The Columbia County News-Times
Article Link

AUGUSTA, Ga. – At first glance goal ball appears to be like any other sport in the fact that it takes a lot of skill. But it has one major difference no other sport has, you see all the players in goal ball are blind.

“It’s tough. There is no noise so you really have to use your ears and listen.” said Phillip Woodberry, Augusta Vipers goalball player.

During the game players roll an eight-pound ball that has been hollowed out and had a bell placed in it. The objective is to get it past the opposing teams wall of defenders into a goal. If you think it sounds easy, it’s not. Some of the players in this sport can roll the ball upwards of 60 miles per hour.

“You’ll leave a tournament with bruised ribs. You get hit in the face. It’s a pretty brutal sport but once you get the hang of it it’s a lot of fun.” said Darryl Austin, Augusta Vipers Goalball player

“It’s all about conditioning. You have to train yourself for this sport because it is a rough contact sport. The ball hurts but you have to train for that.” said Jonathan Pichardo, Augusta Vipers goalball player.

By Jason Folk jfolk@nbcaugusta.com
Story Published: Mar 29, 2010 at 2:59 PM EDT
Story Updated: Mar 30, 2010 at 2:42 PM EDT
Article Link

Mark you calendars for our Adaptive Waterskiing Clinic to be held June 26th.  This year CMFA and MCG Health will hold the clinic at Points West – Fort Gordon’s Outdoor Resort.  Just like last year we’re doing sit skiing, tubing, boat rides and open swim.  We’re planning on concentrating on child participants in the morning and then adults after our free lunch from Sconyers Bar-B-Que.  Whether you are a participant, or would like to volunteer, just fill out an application on our website!  For more information email us at info@cmfa.us or call 706.364.2422.  Hope to see you there!

Our own Scott Winkler was awarded the Harlem Globetrotter’s Ambassador’s award on March 8th!  Moo Moo Evans presented Scott with the award at the Fort Gordon Athletic Complex.  Congratulations Scott!