Congratulations to our Fall 2023 Active Fund grant recipients! The Kelly Brush Foundation just wrapped up our Fall 2023 Active Fund grant cycle. Congratulations to the 150 individuals who were just awarded an Active Fund grant! To the 122 first-time applicants, welcome to the KBF community- we are so happy to have you! 

The Active Fund helps our grant recipients take ownership of their active lifestyle. For Lucas, it means: 

“I’m so excited to be able to use [my new all-court chair] this upcoming season as my options for sports just totally opened up. I’m about to sign myself up for every wheelchair sport imaginable lol. I’m really grateful this is going to help me improve my skills and be able to get more competitive.”

Our applications totaled $1.2M in equipment and we were able to give out just over $420,000 in equipment grants!

Equipment Type:

Handcycles were popular this cycle, road and offroad handcycles being our biggest requests, followed by all-terrain chairs and sports chairs. 

Gender:

We are thrilled to see so many women getting active this cycle! With 25% of applicants self-identifying as female, this is a fun statistic to see because according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, only 20% of new SCIs in the US are women. 

Years Since Injury:

This cycle was a perfect example of how it is never too early or too late to get active! 1/3 of applicants are within the first 4 years of their injury and we even have the opportunity to help someone who has lived with their SCI for more than 50 years! 

This grant cycle highlights the tenacity, determination, and dedication our community exemplifies. Like Sam said:

“When I was first injured they told me I would never push a wheelchair. Now I play rugby!!”

Level of Injury:

We received applications from folks in our community with all levels of SCIs, from high-level cervical injuries to lower-level lumbar injuries. There was a mixture of incomplete and complete injuries, highlighting the individuality of all of our applicants.

Age:

Every age is the perfect age to get active! Our youngest applicant this cycle is 5 years old and our oldest applicant is 75.

Location:

We received applications from folks in 38 different states across the country- from Alaska up Northwest to Florida down Southeast! Shoutout to Texas and California for sending the most applicants our way! 

“I am now able to work on my weight management and cardio fitness as I did prior to my injury, all while being in the beautiful outdoors of Southwest Colorado and beyond!! I can now bike with my husband and/or friends! This is such a quality-of-life upgrade for me on every single level!”

Living with an SCI and interested in getting your own adaptive sports equipment? Consider applying for one of our scholarships to try a new sport, test out a piece of equipment, or build skills by attending camps, clinics, or other adaptive sports programs. Once you find the perfect fit, check out our Active Fund guidelines to prepare your paperwork for our Spring 2024 cycle!