To celebrate the achievements of athletes who competed in the 2010 Paralympic Games and all athletes with disabilities, Plastics Make it Possible, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council, helped raise nearly $50,000 for Athletes with Disabilities Network (ADN).
During March and April, people across the United States visited the Plastics Make it Possible website and Facebook page to make donations to ADN and help inspire athletes with disabilities to become future Paralympians. Plastics Make it Possible then matched dollar-for-dollar the $23,291 that was raised through corporate and private donations, for a total gift of $46,582 to ADN.
“We are thrilled to have raised money for an organization like Athletes with Disabilities Network to help inspire a whole new generation of athletes,” Steve Russell, vice president of the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council, said in a press release.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 1.7 million amputees in the United States, many of whom rely on active and sports-grade prostheses to keep fit and stay healthy. These prostheses have been revolutionized by plastic materials that help make them stronger, lighter and more flexible, and to function more like natural limbs.
“We’ve seen firsthand how innovations in plastics used in active prostheses have helped athletes to not only overcome the trauma of limb loss, but flourish in competitive events like our own Extremity Games,” Elizabeth Taylor, executive director of AND, said. “The donations made through this program will help many athletes continue to compete in the sports they love.”
