Paralympic event comes to Kalispell

The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes is hosting a 2015 Paralympic Experience in Kalispell on Saturday.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Hedges Elementary School. It is open to all K-12 students with visual impairments across Montana. The public is invited.

The event will give students with visual impairments an opportunity to participate in Goalball (a sport specifically designed for those who are blind and visually impaired), track and field, and beep baseball.

“We are very excited to continue our third year of providing life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to youth across Montana who are blind and visually impaired,” association founder and executive director Billy Henry said.

“This event will introduce students to several different sports and give them the opportunity to learn more about the Paralympic games.”

According to Charlie Huebner, U.S. Olympic Committee chief of Paralympics, “The Paralympic Experience program encourages physical fitness and overall well-being for individuals with physical and visual disabilities, and we are thrilled to be working with Northwest Association for Blind Athletes on this initiative.

“Research shows that individuals with physical and visual disabilities who participate in physical activity are healthier, more successful in school, have great access to employment opportunities and have an enhanced quality of life.”

For more information on the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, contact Henry at 1-360-718-2826 or visit www.nwaba.org.

Saturday’s event in Kalispell is being held in conjunction with the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, and U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee.