CREATIVE PLAY FOR ALL
LAKEWOOD'S THERAPEUTIC RECREATION PROGRAM
MAKES AN IMPACT By City of Lakewood
Competing in sports and working out as an athlete has no limits in Lakewood, as mornings at the Whitlock Recreation Center demonstrate. team has grown significantly over the last few years, and more sessions have been added because families see such improvement and focus in their athletes, Sprague said. The program has helped individuals in the community experience lifeenhancing activities since the 1970s when the city became a partner with Jeffco Public Schools to offer Camp Paha, a summer day camp for children and young adults with disabilities. The city took over the camp in the 1980s and to this day it remains the program’s most in-demand activity.
The center is buzzing thanks to a new adaptive activity offered to residents with disabilities. Drop-in wheelchair sports are offered every morning during the week, and athletes are frequently playing rugby and basketball. The dropin times have grown in popularity over the last few months with a large group from the Denver Harlequins wheelchair rugby team now coming in on Tuesday mornings to scrimmage. This activity, along with many others is part of the city’s therapeutic recreation program, which provides sports, recreation, leisure and outreach services to individuals with physical, mental and emotional challenges. The therapeutic program, often known as RISE, addresses the needs of individuals with disabilities
20 • Colorado Byline | Summer 2023
who have barriers to accessing and participating in recreation opportunities offered to the general public. “Anyone in the community who is experiencing a barrier to participating in recreation and leisure opportunities is welcome to come see what we have to offer,” said Missy Sprague, coordinator for Lakewood’s therapeutic recreation program. “We have worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions.” Along with drop-in wheelchair sports, a variety of Special Olympics sport teams are offered throughout the year, including flag football, bowling, basketball, track and field and swim team. The swim
“We are fortunate to work with so many amazing families,” said Sprague. “At our end-of-summer slideshow for Camp Paha, we heard from so many families about how important the program is to them. It offers a fun and safe place for them to drop their campers off and puts their mind at ease knowing that they are not only being taken care of but having fun.” The therapeutic recreation program isn’t just geared toward sports There are social opportunities that are wildly popular as well. Participants enjoy monthly dances, social outings and even movie nights. Now exploring the outdoors is an option for nature lovers through a new program for individuals with physical limitations who want to get out into Lakewood’s parks and trails. Freedom Trax are offered to individuals with manual wheelchairs, and these off-road wheelchair attachments allow the user to enjoy Lakewood’s trails. A GRIT chair, an all-terrain wheelchair, is also available to use.
