Fall 2019 Active Fund Grant Class Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Kelly Brush Foundation Awards 101 Active Fund Grants for Fall 2019

BURLINGTON, VT (November 12, 2019) – The Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF) is thrilled to welcome 101 new grant recipients into the KBF family this November! Applicants of the Active Fund are people with spinal cord injuries who want to purchase their own adaptive sports equipment. This equipment is prohibitively expensive for many people; a base model handcycle is $3,500, whereas the price for a base model bicycle is $100 (an equivalent piece of equipment). The KBF wants to remove financial barriers to getting active, as an active lifestyle provides community as well as crucial physical and mental health benefits.

The Fall 2019 Active Fund awarded $278,000 in grants to 101 people in 38 states. The grants included 17 road handcycles and 7 offroad handcycles, 14 basketball chairs, 9 all-terrain chairs, 5 monoskis, an adaptive surfboard, and a rowing shell.

“The Kelly Brush Foundation exists to help people thrive after a spinal cord injury, and we think sports is a really powerful way to do that. We have now given grants to people in 48 states, and every year we are reaching new communities and supporting new sports,” said Executive Director Zeke Davisson. “This was the highest amount we’ve ever awarded, as we increased our grant budget by $40,000 from spring 2019. We are proud to be growing our impact.”

The Active Fund consists of a spring and a fall grant cycle, with two opportunities per year for people to apply for adaptive sports equipment funding. The next opportunity to apply will be the Spring 2020 Active Fund grant cycle, which will open in January. Check the website for updates, information, and applications: kellybrushfoundation.org/theactivefund

Media Contact:
Zeke Davisson, Kelly Brush Foundation, 802-846-5298

About Kelly Brush Foundation
The Kelly Brush Foundation is a dynamic and growing Burlington, Vermont-based non-profit inspiring and empowering people with spinal cord injuries to be active and working closely with the alpine ski racing community to improve safety. The Kelly Brush Foundation was founded in 2006 by Kelly and her family after Kelly sustained a spinal cord injury while racing in an NCAA alpine ski race. To date the Kelly Brush Foundation has awarded over 930 adaptive equipment grants to people in 48 states.