Turnstone Center & YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne Partnership Receives $50,000 Grant From The Hartford
Fort Wayne, Ind. (April 16, 2024) – Turnstone Center, based in Fort Wayne, IN, was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from The Hartford for new adaptive sports equipment. The equipment will be used in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne to increase access to adaptive sports opportunities through clinics, competitions, camps, and practices throughout the community, including locations at four YMCA facilities.
The grant enabled Turnstone Center, a member of the Move United member network, to purchase adaptive sports equipment, including 30 multi-sport wheelchairs. The adaptive sports wheelchairs will be used in local programming provided in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, specifically at Turnstone’s Plassman Athletic Center, the Caylor-Nickel Foundation Family YMCA (Bluffton, IN), Jackson R. Lehman YMCA, Jorgensen Family YMCA, and Parkview Family YMCA.
The Hartford also surprised Tom Hunter, a local multi-sport athlete who participates in wheelchair basketball, sled hockey, boccia, and curling, with custom-fit sled hockey equipment, including a goalie sled, wheeled equipment bag, goalie mask, goalie stick, leg pads, goalie glove, goalie blocker, and chest/arm protector. The new equipment will allow Hunter to safely enhance his contributions in the goalie position with the nationally ranked Turnstone Flyers Sled Hockey team throughout its competition season.
"Our continued collaboration with the YMCA will help us introduce adaptive sports and active living opportunities to youth with disabilities throughout our community,” said Mike Mushett, Turnstone CEO. “Thanks to The Hartford, we’ll be able to specifically reach areas with previously limited access, foster inclusivity, increase awareness of adaptive sports, encourage athletes to discover their strengths, and further the Paralympic movement here in northeast Indiana.”
A variety of inclusive sports programs will be offered throughout the year. Several adaptive sports will be featured, including basketball, tennis, pickleball, boccia, and volleyball. Clinics will be held once a month at all four YMCA locations, in addition to numerous competitive opportunities that will be open to participants. Available programming can be found on Turnstone Center’s and the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne’s websites.
Andrew Gritzmaker, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne added, “Partnerships like these reinforce our pursuit to remove barriers to access for members of our community and to help everyone reach their full potential. Turnstone is a nationally recognized leader in adaptive sports and services. Their knowledge, passion, and partnership with the Y continues to be a driving force behind ensuring a healthy spirit, mind, and body is within reach for all.”
Turnstone and the YMCA continue to expand opportunities for all by working together to provide a joint membership. Access to both facilities with a single membership provides increased access to sports, fitness, and active living opportunities for people and families with and without disabilities.
For more information about available sports opportunities, interested participants can contact Michelle Kimpel, Director of Sports and Rec at Turnstone, at [email protected] or Tabitha Ervin, Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, at [email protected].
