Adaptive Sports Foundation (CASF) provides financial support, public relation services, coaching and mentoring so athletes with physical disabilities have the opportunity to participate in organized team sports programs. Participation has been shown to improve the quality of life for these athletes by providing ongoing physical rehabilitation and an outlet for social integration. CASF governs and supports team sports for athletes with physical disabilities, including hockey, , , , hand cycling and rugby. The Foundation provides opportunities for athletes of all ages and levels – from basic instructional participation Nikko Landeros to high level competition – to discover and develop skills, with some athletes even progressing to compete for their country at the Paralympic level. Disability: Double above knee amputation After only playing sled hockey for less than two years, Before CASF was established, teams were operating independently and raising their Nikko landed a spot on the 2010 U.S. Paralympic own funds. CASF has brought them together under one umbrella to benefit from Sled Hockey Team roster. shared resources and coordinated fund-raising. When he’s not training or on the ice, Landeros enjoys listening to music, watching movies and playing the Vision Call of Duty video game. His long-term plans include • To be the recognized leader in a movement that provides physically challenged people with obtaining a degree in business management and owning his own business. opportunities to participate in team sport • To enable physically challenged people to reap the benefits from an active team-based Major Achievements: environment, including inspiration, coaching, mentoring and physical fitness • 2011: National Champions – • To ultimately improve self-esteem, elevate social skills and improve quality of life for all participants thru participation in team sports • 2010: Inaugural USA Cup Champions Colorado Avalanche Goals • 2010: Gold medal – Paralympic Winter Games • Increase awareness for individual and team adaptive sports and its athletes with disabilities, Vancouver, Canada bringing them into the mainstream alongside able-bodied sports • 2010: Gold medal - 2010 Japan Para Ice Sledge • Raise $14 Million by the end of 2013 to establish an Endowment to provide quality equipment, Hockey Championships access to facilities, and top-notch coaching and instruction estimated as an annual cost of $700,000. • 2009: Nominated to 2010 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team • By 2017, develop and build a sports, training and education facility primarily devoted to people with physical disabilities • Ensure that people of all ages with a physical disability have access to individual and team sports • Grow the existing individual and team sports in Colorado for people with physical disabilities • Provide structure and education to individuals desiring to progress from recreational to world-class athletes • Provide the means for athletes competing at the top level of their sport to become world-class athletes Benefits For Athletes • Structured individual and team sports develop important life skills, including preparation, communication and socialization • Athletes of all ages and skill level can participate in CASF • These programs give participants the ability to join and effectively compete in team sports on a level playing field, where the focus is their amazing abilities • Programs are available for all levels of play from local instructional participation to world-class competition • Ongoing participation in physical activity promotes a healthy, active, independent lifestyle, enhancing overall quality of life Raising Awareness Colorado Population Demographics from U.S. Census Bureau 2007 for ages 16-64

2% 6% 4%

Alana Nichols

Disability: Paraplegic Able-Bodied 88% Alana is the only female Paralympian that has gold medals in both the summer and winter Paralympic Games. Sensory Disability Played collegiate Wheelchair Basketball at University 20% of Arizona. COLORADO POPULATION 2007 At the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver Mental Disability 3,244,377 33% Nichols was the top medal winner for Team USA. Physical Disability She took home two gold and two silver medals. PHYSICAL MENTAL SENSORY 47%

Nichols graduated from the University of Alabama with a Masters degree in Kinesiology and is interested in exercise science. She is especially interested in working with people with spinal cord injuries and introducing them to sport. COLORADO DISABLED POPULATION 2007 331,668 Major Achievements: • 2011: National Champions Lady Rolling Nuggets

• 2011: Gold medal, women’s basketball Parapan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico Awareness comes in two forms.

• 2010: Gold medal, Women’s Sitting Downhill, 1. Make sure that people with disabilities are aware of the opportunities available Women’s Sitting Super-G, bronze medal, Women’s to them. Sitting Slalom, Women’s Sitting Giant Slalom - IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships 2. Make the general public aware of the adaptive athlete. Sestriere, Italy

• 2010: Gold medal, giant slalom and downhill; One of the primary goals of CASF is to reach out to every person with a physical Silver medal, Super G; Bronze, super combined disability and encourage them to become active in life. It is a proven fact that one’s Winter Paralympic Games, Vancouver, Canada quality of life will become much better through active participation in sports and • 2010: First place, downhill – World Cup recreation. Sestriere, Italy

• 2010: Second place, Super combined CASF will raise the Social awareness of the adaptive athlete. We have made strong World Cup,Sestriere, Italy strides in developing relationships with local, regional and national media

• 2010: Third place, Super G – World Cup organizations in an effort to continually gain exposure for our amazing athletes and Sestriere, Italy for the sports they compete in.

• 2009: First place, downhill – U.S. Adaptive Nationals Scott Hastings – Sports Talk Show Host 104.3 The Fan. • 2009: Third place, Super combined U.S. Adaptive Nationals “I believe in the Colorado Adaptive Sports Foundation because I believe participation

• 2008: Gold medal, wheelchair basketball in team sports is very important for a young athlete, whether disabled or not. It teaches Paralympic Games, Beijing, China teamwork, cooperation, collaboration, communication skills and discipline, all good lessons that can be carried through life.” Become a Friend of CASF $50 – Grassroots Friend For those of you who are new to giving and want to help out in any way you can.

$100 – Recreational Friend This friend has a passion for our cause.

$1,000 – Collegiate Friend For our friends who want a higher degree of giving. Raising Funds

$10,000 – Professional Friend The Colorado Adaptive Sports Foundation solicits funds from individuals, For our professional philanthropist friends. businesses, public and private trusts, private foundations and government entities. Along with the above funding efforts, CASF also hosts several annual fundraisers to $50,000 – Hall of Fame Friend For that friend who is truly gifted at raise money and create local awareness for the program. their craft. Donors and sponsors receive recognition for their support. Product placement, logo recognition, media coverage, and website placement are just a few of the tangible returns that can be expected. But the most rewarding return for investment is the Join the $10 Club understanding that the dollars raised go to helping out hundreds of men, women In today’s economic times, CASF realizes and children in Colorado with physical disabilities live full and productive lives. that not everybody can give at the same level. But we know that people still want Participation not only improves the quality of life for that person, but also enriches to be able to help their favorite cause. the lives of the athletes, friends and family. For this reason we have developed the $10 Club. This exclusive club allows people to help support CASF athletes a Why should I contribute? little at a time. The Colorado Adaptive Sports Foundation (CASF) is an organization dedicated to providing team sports opportunities to those with physical disabilities. It is the belief Make a one time donation or click on the Subscribe button to set up reoccurring of CASF that ALL people with a physical disability should have the opportunity to donations. participate in a team sport. There are so many life lessons to be learned through participation in a team sport, such as teamwork, cooperation, communication, leadership, concentration and collaboration. Athlete for Athletes Special Event Series Competing in the Colorado region is a challenge for athletes with a physical disability - we have a limited number of athletes that compete in team sports, and CASF is developing a series of annual fundraising/awareness events. These our isolated geography give us fewer opportunities to compete. CASF will help events are designed to bring people provide opportunities for its participating athletes to compete in tournaments, as together in support of our athletes. well as host events and tournaments where out-of-state athletes come to Colorado to compete. Currently there are three different events available: 1. Annual Awards Breakfast Way’s to Donate 2. Golf Tournament 3. Walk/Run/Bike event 1. Become a “Friend of CASF” 2. Join the $10 Club Support these events by becoming and event sponsor or a participant. These events will be highlighted on our website 3. Participate/Support our “Athletes for Athletes Special Event Fundraising Series” with additional information on dates, times, locations, registration and 4. Provide In-Kind support or services sponsorship information. 5. Volunteer Visit www.coloradoadaptivesports.org to donate and learn more about these programs. Colorado Adaptive Sports is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Raise the Roof A major goal of the CASF Board of Directors it to develop, design and build its own fitness and training facility. This facility will be designed specifically for the fitness, training, health and wellbeing of the physically disabled adaptive athlete. Currently our athletes have to compete for training time against our fellow able-bodied athletes, usually receiving whatever time is left over after the able-bodied programs have been filled. This creates a lot of difficulty in running successful and consistent programs for our athletes. Chandler Couture

Disability: Spina Bifida Other areas of the country have built similar facilities and have demonstrated great Born in 1998, he began playing sled hockey at the age success. They have increased the number of people with physical disabilities in all of of five. Playing sled hockey allows him to set goals and their programs. Their competition level has grown and the overall quality-of-life for work hard to achieve them. He loves being a part of the their participants has increased dramatically. team and helping them to become the best they can be. He dreams of being in the Paralympics one day and knows with dedication and hard work he can become the best there is. Chandler is the youngest member of the U.S. National Patriot Sled Hockey Team, a team of the best young athletes from around the country.

Major Achievements: • 2011: Sled Hockey National Champions Colorado Avalanche • 2011: Named to U.S. National Patriot Team • 2010: Youngest player ever invited to U.S. National Sled Hockey development camp

The proposed facility would have the following amenities: • Ice Rink (2 sheets) • Gymnasium o Wheelchair Basketball o Quad Rugby • Fitness Center • Wellness Center • Outdoor Wheelchair Softball Fields • Tennis Courts • Pool Area • Arena (2,000 seats) • Custom Locker Rooms for our teams • Workshop • Storage • Colorado Adaptive Athlete Hall of Fame