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Palm Beach County Therapeutic Recreation Complex Opens

The grand-opening remarks conclude with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pictured above (l to r): Dennis Eshleman, Jon Van Arnam, Bob Weisman, Meyer Grodetsky, Charles M. Castevens, Jack Donsky, Jay DiPietro, Commissioner Newell, Commissioner Aaronson, Jonathan Doring, Howard Perlman, Commissioner Koons (back), Bernie Rifkin, Pat Wolpow, Marian Winters.

Palm Beach County officials, together with representatives of generous local organizations and individuals, held a grand-opening ceremony on Jan. 12 for the new, much-anticipated Club Managers Association of America Therapeutic Recreation Complex.

The new complex located in John Prince Park, Lake Worth, offers a wide range of leisure opportunities for people with disabilities. The complex will also become the premier training facility for over 1,000 local Special Olympics athletes.

The grand-opening celebration included tours of the expansive new facility featuring demonstrations showcasing the wide range of accessible recreational opportunities now available. The complex includes a pool, performance stage, activities room, art studio, gallery and a computer lab.

Following the tours, visitors enjoyed the opening game of the seventh annual Knock and Roll Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. The tournament, hosted by the County and the South Florida Rattlers, ran through Jan. 14.

VSA arts Coordinator Donald Perez assists Marcia Morkate with her ceramics project in the arts studio.

Wheelchair athletes from the United States, Canada and Germany participated in this fast-paced, full-contact wheelchair competition. These amazing quadriplegics, including some from the award-winning movie “Murderball,” have overcome unbelievable obstacles to compete in this sport.

Teams included the South Florida Rattlers; Tampa Generals; Hoveround Gunners from Sarasota, Florida; Lakeshore Demolition from Birmingham, Alabama; Magee Eagles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pasadena Texans from Houston, Texas; London Annihilators from Ontario, Canada; and Germany’s National Team.

Palm Beach County successfully partnered with generous local community organizations and individuals to develop this unique new therapeutic recreation complex. Money was raised through golf tournaments, the sale of naming rights and memorial bricks, and through other fund-raising efforts by several local golf club communities who have been longtime supporters of Special Olympics.

The Club Managers Association of America Therapeutic Recreation Complex, with The Gleneagles Country Club Aquatic Center, The Fountains Country Club Recreation Center, and The Murray, Meyer & Rachelle Grodetsky Family Foundation Athletic Center, incorporates a state-of-the-art accessibility design with sophisticated adapted equipment. People of all ages and abilities will now be able to train and compete in sports, participate in rehabilitation and fitness programs, and experience a wide variety of visual and performing arts programs. In addition, marketable talents can be developed for future employment and independence.

Visitors enjoy the spacious Murray, Meyer & Rachelle Grodetsky Family Foundation Athletic Center at the grand-opening ceremony.
Commissioner Aaronson, who serves as Chairman of the Special Oympics Fund-raising Committee, welcomes everyone to the ceremony and introduces special guests and speakers.	At the grand-opening ceremony, Commissioner Newell welcomes the opportunity to address the audience.	Commissioner Koons, Honorary Chairman of VSA arts Palm Beach County, addresses the audience at the grand-opening ceremony.