Plastics Make it Possible(SM), an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Arlington, Virginia, helped raise nearly $50,000 for Athletes with Disabilities Network (ADN), Auburn Hills, Michigan, which provides services and mentorship for disabled athletes across the country.
According to a Plastics Make it Possible press release, the fundraising initiative was designed to celebrate all athletes with disabilities and the achievements of athletes who competed in the 2010 Paralympic Games. During March and April, people visited the Plastics Make it Possible website and the Plastics Make it Possible page on Facebook page to make donations to ADN. Plastics Make it Possible then matched the $23,291 that was raised through corporate and private donations, for a total gift of $46,582.
“We are thrilled to have raised money for an organization like Athletes with Disabilities Network to help inspire a whole new generation of athletes,” said Steve Russell, vice president, plastics division of the ACC. “From carbon-fiber technology used for shock absorption to custom-fitted sockets made from resilient polyethylene and polypropylene, plastics are a vital part of the innovative, active prostheses that are used by many disabled athletes in the sports they typically enjoy.”
“We’ve seen firsthand how innovations in plastics used in active prostheses have helped athletes to not only overcome the trauma of limb loss, but flourish in competitive events like our own Extremity Games,” said Elizabeth Taylor, executive director of ADN. “The donations made through this program will help many athletes continue to compete in the sports they love.”
