Invacare to sponsor Wheelchair Games

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 12, 2013—Paralyzed Veterans of America is proud to announce that Invacare Corporation will serve as a National Host Sponsor for the 33rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games, which kicked off this weekend in Tampa, Fla., and will run from July 13-18. Invacare has supported the Games since its inception in 1981. “Invacare has been there from the beginning and without their generous support, putting on an event as large as the Wheelchair Games just wouldn’t be possible,” said Bill Lawson, national president of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “We thank them for their continued support of the Games and their unending commitment to our veteran wheelchair athletes.”

In addition to monetary support, Invacare employees volunteer throughout the week of the Games to ensure that the veteran athletes’ wheelchairs are competition ready. “There is no event quite like the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. We have supported the Games for 33 years because of the individuals who compete and the heart, strength and courage that they put into both their service to this country and their competitive spirit at the Games. We are proud to have even a small part in making this event possible for our nation’s veterans,” said Gerry Blouch, president and chief executive officer for Invacare Corporation.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games, presented annually by Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), are open to all U.S. military veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition as a result of spinal cord injury, certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments. The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America and James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital will host the 2013 Games.

Veterans at the Wheelchair Games will compete in 18 events: air guns, archery, basketball, boccia, bowling, field, handcycling, a motorized wheelchair rally, nine ball, power soccer, quad rugby, slalom, softball, swimming, table tennis, track, trapshooting and weightlifting. This year’s Wheelchair Games will also feature exhibitions of water-skiing and tennis. Athletes compete in all events against others with similar athletic ability, competitive experience or age. For more information about the 33rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games, go to www.wheelchairgames.pva.org or www.wheelchairgames.va.gov.

Invacare Corporation, headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and long-term care medical products that promote recovery and active lifestyles. The company has 5,800 associates and markets its products in 80 countries around the world. For more information about the Company and its products, visit Invacare’s website at www.invacare.com.

Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded by a group of seriously injured American heroes from the “Greatest Generation” of World War II. They created a nonprofit organization to meet the challenges that they faced back in the 1940s—from a medical community not ready to treat them to an inaccessible world. For more than 66 years, Paralyzed Veterans’ national office and its 34 chapters across the nation have been making America a better place for all veterans and people with disabilities. Visit www.pva.org.