BREWSTER – The McGraw Center for Adaptive Sports will launch this summer at Nickerson State Park to provide sports programs for residents and vacationers with physical and cognitive disabilities at Nickerson State Park in Brewster.
The center, which was made possible by a donation from the Donald C. McGraw Foundation, is a collaboration between Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
“[It] will really be a resource for residents as well as vacationers to connect them to the park with accessible sports,” said Mary Patstone, the director of Spauldin’s adoptive sports centers. “[It will] really serve as a first-in-the-nation kind of model for public and private collaborations that brings about this evolution of these inclusive communities within the parks system.”
The McGraw Center launches in June in a yurt-style operations center that will include storage trailers for adaptive equipment, handicap parking, and water activities on Cliff Pond. It will also include access to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, beaches on Cape Cod Bay and hiking trails.
Adaptive equipment will be provided and fitted to help visitors with biking and kayaking, along with other sports.
A grand opening event will be held at the park on June 17.
Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers helps individuals with disabilities engage in recreational sports activities with the guidance of therapists and adaptive sports professionals.