On a warm afternoon in August, more than 40 or our BYSC athletes with special needs, volunteers and family members gathered at the Boundless Adventures Ropes Course at Purchase College for an afternoon of fun and adventure. This unique opportunity was funded by a grant from the Westchester County Youth Bureau that focuses on non-traditional sporting events for athletes with special needs.
New York approved mobile sports betting in 2021, and in doing so became the first state to allocate the portion of the state revenue from betting to fund annual grants targeting “sports programming for underserved youth.” Over the past 4 years, as sports betting has continued to grow, so have the size and number of grants that are being awarded.
In addition to this recent afternoon at Boundless Adventures, our athletes with special needs have enjoyed a variety of non-traditional sports over the past year. Bowling, golfing, nature hikes and surfing in Long Beach, NY, just to name a few, have all provided an opportunity for our athletes to have fun and experience new sports.
With 4 different levels of difficulty, the Boundless Adventures course is perfect for our group of athletes. Their unique system of safety harnesses are designed to allow even those who are fearful of heights to feel challenged without feeling scared.
A special shout out to recently named Westchester County Youth Bureau Executive Director Ernest McFadden (and former Executive Director DaMia Harris-Madden) for all their support in providing this all important funding.
