The Orthotic and Prosthetic Activities Foundation brought McKeever’s First Ride to Atlanta with co-hosts Dale Beatty and Reggie Showers, according to a press release.
Beatty, a military veteran, was honored by CNN in 2013 as a “community crusader” for co-founding Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit organization that modifies and provides homes for disabled veterans.
Showers is a former professional motorcycle racer and a current adaptive snowboarder and certified snowboarding instructor.
Shown at McKeever’s First Ride from left to right are Reggie Showers, Dennie McKeever and Dale Beatty.
Source: The Orthotic and Prosthetic Activities Foundation
Throughout the event, participants had opportunities to ride, rope, drive carriages and participate in various activity stations at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. The event also featured areas for arts and crafts for adults and youth, therapeutic massage from American Massage Therapy Association volunteers, and Ortho-bionomy — an osteopathically based form of body therapy — introduced by Elizabeth Beeson. Sallie Davis’ Petting Zoo also was on site.
More than 90 volunteers were on hand to assist the more than 50 participants. A representative from Hanger Clinic and the AMPOWER Peer Support Network was in attendance, and more than 15 teens participated in the teen McKeever’s station, where they learned about the needs of deployed military and stuffed care packages, according to the release. Ed and Elizabeth Dabney of Dabney Gentle Horsemanship brought horses who showcased stunts and were available for participants to ride and learn grooming activities.
Reference: www.opafonline.org.
