(Courtesy of SCF)
Adaptive Beach Days participants and Sabrina Cohen Foundation volunteers return to the beach after an 18-month hiatus.
People of all abilities returned to the ocean in Miami Beach with gusto last month, thanks to a restart of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation’s (SCF) Adaptive Beach Days program after an 18-month hiatus that was caused by the pandemic.
A special kickoff was attended by several local and state leaders, featuring a check ceremony for a $41,000 donation from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center. This recent grant, coupled with past support from the foundation, brings its support of SCF to $150,000, which made the program's launch possible in 2016. SCF is dedicated to developing adaptive fitness and recreational programs, in addition to funding innovative therapies that will provide a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and various disabilities.
“The Reeve Foundation is proud to offer the support needed to help alleviate the physical, mental and behavioral effects related to the isolation brought on by the pandemic,” said Mark Bogosian, director of the Reeve Foundation’s quality of life grants program.
To date, SCF has welcomed 8,000 residents throughout South Florida and tourists from all over the world to experience beach access like never before, catering to people living with paralysis and various disabilities, along with their families and friends.
Adaptive Beach Days will take place every second Sunday of the month through November 2021, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 6475 Collins Ave.
“I’m so excited to get our community back on the beach, and experience the freedom and joy associated with being in the water, after waiting for a year and a half,” said SCF founder Sabrina Cohen. “The continued support is inspiring and validates the importance of this movement.”
(Courtesy of SCF)
Sergio Echeverria, aka “AquaMan,” enjoying the Adaptive Beach Days program.
Because of its success, Miami Beach is partnering with SCF to build an adaptive fitness and recreation center, designed by renowned architect Kobi Karp, which will be a first-of-its-kind oceanfront facility on the East Coast catering exclusively to individuals with mobility challenges.
The center will combine indoor and beachside physical fitness with recreational activities that promote mental and spiritual wellness in one central location. Fundraising is underway to build the facility and the City of Miami Beach recently awarded SCF a $2.5 million matching grant toward a capital campaign. For more information on the Adaptive Beach Days program and how you can support SCF, please visit SabrinaCohenFoundation.org.