End of Summer Bash VI Promo

The End of the Summer Bash is Saturday, September 25, 2010 9am – 3pm at Meadowmere Park in Grapevine, Texas.  This Free Event provides a variety of outdoor leisure activities for those in the community of all ages with physical disabilities and their families.

Activities: Water Skiing, Scuba Demonstration, Jet Skis, Sailing, Kayaking, Swimming, Fishing, Disability Golf, Camping, Archery, Horseback Riding, Hand Cycling, Quad Rugby, Sled Hockey Equipment, Basketball, Climbing Wall, Face Painting, Remote Control Sailboats, Children’s Playground, Petting Zoo, Wood Carving, Silent Auction and much more…

Free food and drinks under the Grapevine AMBUC’s Food Court big tent.

Special Live Performances by JB Clark, and the Oak Lawn Symphonic & Marching Band.

Free Drawing for merchandise and gift-cards.

RISE is accepting preregistration for End of Summer Bash VI via email. Click on this link eosb@riseadventures.org and let us know how many folks in your group will be in attendance.

This years EOSB VI Title Sponsor is the Baylor Institute for Rehablitation.

Additional major contributors are: PepsiCo Enable, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Securities, Grapevine Parks & Recreastion Department, C&R Medical Supplies, and Lift-Aids.

We also appreciate the support of: Adventure Scuba, Hero’s on the Water, Classic Chevrolet, Pickles Custom Golf, Metroplex Adaptive Water Sports, John Horn’s Woodturning, Infinity Air, CIB Group, Backwoods, Grapevine AMBUCS, and Les Lacs Yacht Club.

CLICK HERE for a printable flyer for the event.

CLICK HERE for map.

WATCH SOME VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’ EVENT!

Brenden Climbing Down Pleasant Pond Mtn.

This summer, my family and I traveled to Maine.  My wife used to live in Gorham, Me and her grandparents still have a “camp” where they spend their summers in Caratunk, ME.  They live right on Pleasant Pond.  One day we climbed up Pleasant Pond Mountain.  I carried Brenden up in a backpack, but he wanted to climb down the mountain on his own.  He did!  All 1.6 miles.  Here’s some of the video we had of his experience

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaFp74MDeOA

Thanks to organizations like RISE Adventures for encouraging and empowering kids and adults similar to Brenden to do things like this!

Thanks,

Jeff Fry

Dallas Mavericks Wheelchair Basketball Water-Sports Picnic

This past weekend RISE held a water-sports picnic for the Dallas Mavericks Wheelchair Basketball Team to kick off the season.  The kids were all very excited to started the basketball season, and there wasn’t a better way to do it!  Several of the Junior Mavericks have never been jetskiing, tubing, or kayaking before, so this was a great opportunity for them to try something new with an organization that had all the right equipment and manpower. Tubing was by far the highlight of the day.  At first, the kids were tenative because they had never done it before, but after the first round, you couldn’t keep them off of it. With each new round, the kids and their families wanted to go faster and faster, holding their thumbs up, screaming even louder with excitement, seeing just how far they could push the limit. Even the coaches got in on the tubing action! The day was filled with music, food, friends and a great time. Thank you RISE for helping the kids break some more barriers down in their life and giving them the confidence to try something new.  We all know that they will be talking about this day with their friends from school! The Junior Mavericks couldn’t ask for anything more! Thank you RISE for providing a great opportunity for the children and their family at no cost!

Michelle Torina

CLICK HERE to view more photos of the event.

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation Water Sports Picnic

On Saturday July 31st, Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation sponsored a spinal cord peer mentor water sports picnic for peer mentors, patients, and family members.  The event was organized by RISE adventures and was held in Meadowmere Park on Lake Grapevine.   The activities that were offered for individuals with disabilities were water skiing, jet skiing, boat rides, tubing, swimming, sailing, kayaking, golfing, and hand cycling.  Over 100 volunteers, participants, and Baylor staff attended the event along with four Baylor patients.  In addition to the water activities, participants were able to enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, and brisket as well as cold drinks to help beat the heat.  A free raffle was also held with Dallas Cowboys gear and backpacks as some of the prizes.  All participants received a t-shirt for attending the water sports event.  The event was a success showing appreciation for our amazing peer mentors.   CLICK HERE for more photos of the event.

Rise Fishing–Thank You

Hi Paul and Andy,

I want to give Andy and Traci a huge thank you for taking Alex, and Rich and I, fishing on Lake Ray Hubbard this past Saturday.  Not only did he get to catch his first and second ever catfish (see attached pictures [and feel free to use or share them]), but he also got to meet a really great mentor in Andy.  And Rich and I got to meet two new awesome friends!

Alex is eager to go out again Andy, so if you have any night fishing coming up or daytime fishing, please let us know.  Also, by chance, did Alex leave his Texas Rangers baseball cap on your boat;  if so, can you just store it for him under the seats or something and the next time we fish with you, we can retrieve it for him–thanks!

Paul–your organization is amazing!

Thanks,

Dawn

CLICK HERE to see more fishing photos.

Spina Bifida Water Sports Picnic was held Saturday, July 17th.

There are always way too many people to thank for their unconditional support. Without the financial support of C & R Medical Supplies & Lift-Aids and their personal involvement none of our free programs would be possible! It was over 100 degrees but the temperature did not dampen the spirits. The huge turnout of children with disabilities and family members enjoyed a full day of water skiing, jet skiing, water float rides, swimming, sailing, kayaking, golf, lawn games hand cycling, and lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs. A huge “Thank You” also goes to Albert Estes/Scottish Rite Hospital, Spina Bifida Board and staff and the large number of Volunteers that endured a long hot day of fun in the sun!

CLICK HERE for more photos of the event.

RISE is proud to announce the addition of two new volunteer staff members brought aboard to handle all Fundraising and Marketing! Welcome aboard Carly Gil and Julie Saeger!

RISE is proud to announce the addition of two new volunteer staff members brought aboard to handle all fundraising and marketing!  Welcome aboard Carly Gil and Julie Saeger! Julie is a long time friend and top sales representative for a few of my commercial businesses. Carly was the youngest Ms. Texas ever in 1995 and married to Benji Gil, a former Texas Ranger Baseball Player. For a full bio please go to the staff section of our website.  If you are interested becoming a major private or corporate donor, a golf sponsorship, or building a financial relationship with RISE Adventures Julie can be reached at jsaeger@riseadventures.org and Carly at cgil@riseadventures.org.

Paul Gray/CEO/RISE Adventures, Inc.

Thanks to RISE I went golfing for the first time in over 23 years on Saturday.

Thanks to RISE I went golfing for the first time in over 23 years on Saturday.  The weather was great, and the chance to swing a club was even better.  I’m a C5-6 complete quad, and I wasn’t sure how well I could hit the ball.  My expectations were to hit it 20-30 feet.  Gary Pickle dug into his bag of goodies to find a way to strap the club to my arm.  After trying several straps an three different clubs, we came up with the right combination.  With Gary’s instruction, I wound up consistently hitting the ball 30-35 yards.  What a fun day!  Thanks to Gary and RISE Adventures for making this day possible!!!  Chris

CLICK HERE to see more golf photos.

RISE Adventure’s Kayaking Gets Mentioned in The Star-Telegram

The Star-Telegram published a great article about beginner kayaking and how to get started.  They mention RISE Adventures in the article.  CLICK HERE to check it out.

ON Magazine Meet and Greet, Thursday, April 30, 2010

ON Magazine Meet and Greet, Thursday, April 30, 2010, was held at Mi Piaci. Paul Riddle, owner of Innovative Direct Media, publisher of the magazine hosted the party along with associates Jana Kirkeby and Kristi Wipperfurth. ON Magazine is a new sponsor of RISE Adventures and our very important mission. Paul Gray/RISE CEO and business associate Julie Saeger/RISE Fundraising, attended the event.  A good time was had by all as we met a lot of new people and shared ideas about furthering our relationship. Welcome aboard ON Magazine! To learn more about the magazine and for advertising information please click on this link.

RISE Adventures First Annual, “Kickin’ off the Summer Bash I” CEO Recap:

The RISE First Annual “Kickin’ off the Summer Bash I” held May 1, 2010 at Meadowmere Park on Lake Grapevine, was truly blessed! After weeks of concern on the lingering winter weather and the forecast of storms for the weekend, no storms or rain ever occurred. The event was held to get first timers acclimated to our programs, mission accomplished! All programs at the event were regular RISE weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly activities.  RISE owns our own equipment for each program and collaborative partners supply the rest.

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USQRA Quad Rugby Tournament is Big Eye Opener for Local Team.

On Friday February 5th The North Texas Cowboys played their first real quad rugby game against Possibilities Crown, a team from Southern California.  They lost the game by 16 points…  But at the end of the game no one was hanging their head.  They were ecstatic, they played beyond their expectations and they played hard as a team.  There were a total of 7 teams from all around the country that came to play.  Crown went on to take first place in the tournament and the Cowboys continued to lose the rest of their six games. Read the rest of this entry »

Texas Thunder Quad Rugby Tournament, February 5-7th Great Results!

We would like to thank all of our volunteers  and sponsors, The Texas Stampede, RISE, C & R Medical,  Lift-Aids, the Hilton Garden Inn, and the City of Irving for helping put on an excellent tournament.  Seven quad rugby teams from across the country came to the city of Irving to compete in this three day event.  The competition was stiff with no teams going undefeated.

CLICK HERE for more photos of the tournament.

Check out the tournament results below…

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RISE Adventures Sailing on Lake Lewisville

What a great way to begin your Sunday morning, with RISE Sailing.  We all put our sunscreen on, got out the lifejackets, and set sail from Pier 121 at 8am! We were back by 10:30am, just in time before the heat kicked in!  Captain Don brought his son who helped with the sailing and a total of seven were on the boat having a great time! The wind was perfect going out, so we were moving pretty fast! At times it was absolutely peaceful, and relaxing while other times were filled with fun waves and splashing water. Captain Don taught everyone the basics of sailing and Caleb and Jacob were great helpers with pulling the ropes. Everyone moved around the boat sitting in different spots. The favorite spot was the front of the boat, where you could sit and hang your legs off the boat getting splashed from all the waves. Overall everyone had a great time on the boat and we can’t wait until the next time. Check out the pictures of our Sunday morning fun!

We still have many dates this summer for RISE Adventure sailing. Check out the calendar and if you are interested please contact the program director, Stephanie Bowerman, sbowerman@riseadventures.org

CLICK HERE to see more photos of this event.

Major Corporate Update

I founded RISE Adventures, Inc. on March 22, 2007 with the support of Steve Carlson. I am asked a lot of questions from our constituency about the overall status of RISE. As we approach our second birthday I felt it was important to provide a current corporate update. Transparency is important for all non-profit charitable organizations.

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RISE featured in Keeping Up with KC Jones

Take a look below!  RISE was recently featured in the latest Keeping Up episode with KC Jones.  KC was kind enough to come visit us at Campion Trails in Irving a few weeks back at one of our handcycling programs.  She and her crew were able to film some really great footage of RISE members Eric, Spencer, Dave and Mike riding on various bikes.  It was a beautiful day out and we’re so very thankful for this opportunity to have quality video footage for our site and organization.  Thank you KC and crew!  Check it out!

Intro to RISE featured in “Keeping Up with KC Jones” on YouTube

Part 2 of RISE in “Keeping Up with KC Jones” on YouTube

RISE Sled Hockey

Thanks to the hard work of James Dunham, RISE has finally secured ice time at the Addison Square Gardens to start Saturday, November 15th, and will continue throughout the year.

RISE Sled Hockey is an active and inspiring program.  Sled Hockey allows the disabled player to experience a unique sense of freedom.  Securely seated in sleds outfitted with hockey skate blades, players enjoy the fitness benefits, social interaction with coaches and teammates, athletic challenge and sheer pleasure of moving on the ice.

This program is for all ages and levels of physical disabilities.  We would like to invite all of those that have never participated as well as those that have played before.