BoardSafe Kayak Launch Survives Hurricane Sally
Recently, BoardSafe installed one of our adaptive kayak launches in Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida. The project was completed 6 days before the area took a direct hit from Hurricane Sally. During the storm, they were hit with a 6-foot storm surge. After watching the news, there seemed to be little hope the dock survived, but the project contact told us, “The dock system didn’t move an inch.” This was great news for the community — one less thing they needed to worry about after the storm — and a testimony to BoardSafe's engineering and construction quality.
Grants Make Outdoor Recreation More Accessible
Adaptive and wheelchair sports have been growing dramatically over the last few years, especially with the influx of an estimated 10,000 veterans and active service members now participating in adaptive sports. The interest in the Paralympic Games has also led to sports fitness facilities built especially for wheelchair and adaptive athletes. Many state and local governments and park services are revisiting their recreational facilities and offering funding, grants, and other incentives, to plan, develop, and implement programs to open access to handicapped individuals who want to enjoy the same sports and recreational opportunities as others.
One example is the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is working on a multimillion-dollar recreation plan to help cities improve their outdoor all-accessible facilities for adaptive athletes. You can read about it here.
PDCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn says, "They're cooped up at home. Perhaps they're doing their learning from home. Perhaps they're working from home. People are confined in tight spaces," Dunn said. "One thing that was deemed essential from the beginning was time outdoors."
BoardSafe is grateful to be a part of so many plans to help our handicapped citizens enjoy a fuller life.
Jacksonville, Florida, Receives Another Adaptive Kayak Launch
Another of BoardSafe's Made-in-America adaptive kayak launches has brought pleasure and renewed enthusiasm to watersport lovers in Jacksonville, Florida's, Bethesda Park. Share the excitement with this video:
BoardSafe Docks Featured in Michigan Symposium
BoardSafe Docks was on display at the Quiet Adventures Symposium, held in the Michigan State University Pavilion in East Lansing, Michigan. Part of the mission of the Quiet Water Society is to educate the public and encourage participation in non-motorized outdoor recreation.
Stephen J Fleming was on hand to talk about our Adaptive Kayak Launch and Dock Systems. We are looking forward to installing our systems throughout Michigan. Let us know if your community would be interested in a FREE site evaluation.
Applications Open for Community Organizations to Apply for Millions in Adaptive Sports Grants
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is accepting applications through March 17, 2020, for up to $15 million in grants for civic groups providing adaptive sports and therapeutic recreational opportunities to Veterans and members of the armed forces with disabilities.
BoardSafe has the experience, trust, and expertise to design, deliver, and install ADA-compliant adaptive water products for every need. Click here to read about our exclusive features.
Application instructions and eligibility information for these grants — that will help qualified organizations plan, develop, manage, and implement these programs — are available at VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program.
“Built on VA clinical expertise and operations, with essential support from community partners, the adaptive sports grant program allows VA to extend its level of care beyond the clinical setting,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “We are pleased to offer grant funds to community organizations as it means there will be more Veterans engaging in the challenge of sports and more Veterans who are exposed to new skills for healthier living.”
In 2019, the VA awarded $14.9 million in adaptive sports grants to 126 organizations, estimated to serve more than 11,000 veterans and service members from every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Of the total awarded, $1.5 million is being used to assist organizations that offer equine-assisted therapy to support mental health.
All applications must be submitted to www.grants.gov by 8 p.m. EST, March 17, 2020. The VA will announce awards based on a competitive selection in fall 2020.
BoardSafe Manages All Shipping Details
As you can imagine, shipping tons of materials to any site, near or far, can be complicated. With BoardSafe, clients don't need to worry — we take care of all the shipping details.
Just one example is our large rowing center project in Austin, Texas. The main dock will be 15,000 square feet and will house two 3,000-square-foot boathouses. These boathouses will store rowing equipment and gear right on the dock. A total of 5 trucks will carry the materials from our manufacturing center to the site in Austin, Texas.
ADA Boat Launch, Floating Dock, and Fishing Pier
Leaser Lake in Pennsylvania created an accessibility park for those who are disabled or have limited mobility. The accessibility area includes paved walkways and a wheelchair-accessible boat launch and fishing pier. BoardSafe was contracted to build and install the floating docks, gangways, and ADA boat launch, for handicapped access to the 117-acre lake. BoardSafe was selected because of its reputation as a high-end dock builder and its proximity to the lake. They also specialize in Americans-with-Disabilities-Act-featured accessible commercial aluminum floating docks, boat launches, and fishing piers. The project included an ADA-accessible kayak launching ramp.
Providing equal access to all is important. If you are in need of ADA-featured commercial aluminum products for your marina or home dock, contact BoardSafe below to see our selection of ADA-featured applications.
BoardSafe specializes in manufacturing aluminum docks, gangways, and rowing centers. They offer both standard and ADA-featured products. If you have a rowing center or marina project and would like to learn more, visit BoardSafeDocks.com or call 610-899-0286.
Accessible Kayak Launch Installed at Hanna Park in Florida
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is a 1.5-mile public beach and city park in Jacksonville, Florida. In April 2019, the City of Jacksonville received and installed its new BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch. Many community advocates had pushed for a long time to get an accessible launch. Now that they have it, the city has invited the community to come out and learn to kayak. They have even invited an occupational therapist to come out and help the adaptive kayakers. Watch the video below to see the story and how lives are being changed!
Rehab Experts and Jacksonville, FL, Partner to Bring Accessibility to Residents
The City of Jacksonville and Brooks Rehabilitation have teamed up with BoardSafe's adaptive kayak launch to provide accessibility to residents with disabilities in Florida. Jacksonville's Adaptive Recreation Program is hosting clinics around the city to educate and encourage residents with disabilities to enjoy kayaking. One of the clinics will be held at Hanna Park where, in the spring of 2019, a new BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch was installed. Read here for more information.
BoardSafe Featured in Industry Newsletter
Bethlehem-based insurance carrier, HMK Insurance, featured their client BoardSafe Docks and gave them accolades for their dedication to making aquatic sports and activities more accessible. Below is a snippet of the article:
HMK Client Spotlight: Northeast Products & Services Inc.
How does one manufacture state-of-the-art aluminum boating docks and rowing centers in the middle of a cornfield in rural Pennsylvania? HMK client, Northeast Products & Services, Inc., has certainly figured it out. At their Topton, PA, location, they specialize in engineering and manufacturing floating marinas, rowing centers, gangways, and adaptive docks. Northeast Products & Services, Inc. has been called upon by rowing associations, universities, and cities, to create their unique one-of-a- kind products branded as BoardSafe Docks. In looking closer at the Boardsafe Dock products, the expertise and innovation of this business have an impact far greater than those requiring a water-facing structure. Their projects directly affect the well-being and lives of the general public. Click here to read the article.