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We're Proud of Our Ability
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Programs   My son loves every KEEN event - the regular sessions, the family fun day, you name it - because, for that time period, he has a friend. KEEN gives people with disabilities the friendship they so desire but can't obtain on their own. ” – KEEN parent
SPORTS and SPECIALS This program meets for 2 hours on the second and fourth Sundays of every month (excluding holiday weekends). During the Sports Program, athletes and volunteers come together for one-to-one activities. They have a group warm up, and then move to individual activities which are tailored solely to the needs of the athlete. They may throw a basketball or kick a soccer ball. Many love to bounce on 36” balls or be pulled along the floor on a flat wheeled scooter. A group may form for Duck, Duck, Goose. The session ends with everyone coming together in a circle (although some athletes still need to run around its periphery, and that’s okay) and sharing with the group what they did that day “that made them very Proud.” They literally go out dancing: the Hokey Pokey for the younger kids and the Macarena for the teens. Athletes burn energy, meet and interact with new volunteers, see old friends, and then rejoin their parents, who have had some precious respite time. During the SPECIALS Program, athletes and volunteers come together for one-to-one activities. Depending on the child's ability, they can color or create an arts and crafts project, experiment with music, gymnastics, yoga, depending on the activity of the week. LOCATIONS: Gompers Habilitation Center and Virginia G. Piper Sports & Fitness Center All programs are held on Sundays excluding holiday weekends. Please see the calendar for details.
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All of KEEN's programs are based on a single principle: pair a trained volunteer with an athlete and let them discover together how much they can do. Programs are all open and unstructured, allowing athletes facing significant challenges to have fun and be successful.