Penske Helps PVA Nationwide Veterans Wheelchair Video games
Athletes from throughout the nation are assembly in Arizona this week for the 2022 Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Nationwide Veterans Wheelchair Video games, which options competitors in additional than 20 sports activities.
Penske is a proud supporter of the Wheelchair Video games and donated vans to help organizers with their transportation and logistical wants for the occasion.
Hosted by the Division of Veterans Affairs and PVA, the 41st Wheelchair Video games, the biggest annual wheelchair sports activities occasion for army veterans, opened on Thursday in Tempe and continues by Tuesday, July 12.
“We’re proud to help our veterans who’ve given a lot to us,” mentioned Kevin Kleckner, director of nationwide client gross sales and applications for Penske Truck Leasing.
Penske donated 4 vans and two flatbeds to help the transportation wants for the occasion.
“To have a associate that’s prepared to say, ‘we will provide you with no matter you want in trucking and logistics,’ that’s enormous for us, and we couldn’t be extra grateful,” mentioned Jennifer Purser, senior affiliate director of sports activities and recreation for the PVA.
A Legacy of Adaptive Sports activities
Launched by the Division of Veterans Affairs in 1981, the primary Wheelchair Video games had seven occasions and 77 athletes. PVA joined with the VA in 1985 to assist broaden the occasion and supply a possibility for extra veterans to take part.
The Wheelchair Video games is open to all U.S. veterans with spinal twine accidents, amputations, a number of sclerosis or different central neurological situations who require a wheelchair for athletic competitors.
“A part of the explanation why we got here on, aside from it was an incredible sporting occasion, was to assist enhance the inhabitants of wheelchair veterans who take part within the video games,” Purser mentioned. “Now we have now over 500 veterans who take part.”
This yr’s video games will function a mixture of 22 occasions contested over six days and provide a mixture of digital and on-site occasions. A few of the sports activities embrace adaptive health, adaptive e-sports, basketball, disc golf, powerlifting, softball, desk tennis and workforce badminton.
Whereas the video games are at coronary heart knowledgeable sporting occasion, the affect is far-reaching for the members.
“Whether or not you’re a novice or an skilled veteran, you might be constantly constructing your help system and assembly different individuals who have related accidents and related challenges,” Purser mentioned. “Our veterans come out of the video games with pals for all times and folks they will depend on past the wheelchair video games.”
“That camaraderie is vital, and also you see it if you get to the video games. It is sort of a household reunion. Folks miss one another. They know one another’s tales. They know one another’s households,” she mentioned. “They’ve frolicked exterior of the video games. All of that goes again to supporting the rehabilitation piece and that wholesome, productive way of life.”
Driving the Penske and PVA Partnership
For practically a decade, Penske has been a proud supporter of the PVA and its work on behalf of paralyzed army veterans.
Penske Truck Rental joined with the PVA 9 years in the past to create the #OneWay4PVA marketing campaign, which inspires rental prospects to donate $1 to Paralyzed Veterans’ Mission: ABLE marketing campaign.
In April, Penske Truck Leasing was honored with the PVA’s Associate of the Yr Award in recognition of the corporate’s ongoing help. The award was introduced on the PVA seventy fifth Anniversary Gala held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Penske has been an incredible associate to PVA Sports activities and the Wheelchair Video games,” Purser mentioned. “To have Penske are available in and help what we’re doing, it’s enormous. It permits us to take that funding and transfer it to buying tools, jerseys or different help that wants to enter the video games.”
For Penske’s Kleckner, the corporate’s help supplied to the PVA is one other step in deepening the robust bond between the 2 organizations to honor the service and sacrifice of paralyzed veterans on behalf of the nation.
“These folks have change into our pals,” Kleckner mentioned of the PVA. “There’s a deep emotional connection, and we need to serve that friendship’s evolution.”
By Bernie Mixon
