OKC Blazers lend a hand to local charity
Megan Lee
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Front Page
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The annual match has been held between the two teams for almost a decade and activities include a silent auction to benefit the Blaze team and its members.
'Mighty' Marty Standish is no stranger to this game. This was the Blazers' star center's seventh time to participate in the match.
"I think it's a fun promotion, and it really gives back to the community," Standish said.
"As athletes, participating in something like this shows us how truly lucky we are to be able to do what we do."
The Blaze are members of the Greater Oklahoma Disabled Sports Association, which was organized in 1983 as a non-profit group. The GODSA's mission is to sponsor and promote recreational and competitive sports for youth who require the use of a wheelchair.
Dana Cutter, president of the GODSA Parent Association, stresses that no tax-supported or public school athletic programs exist for these young people. Cutter said the average basketball wheelchair costs approximately $3,000, and the kids tend to outgrow them quickly.
Margaret Kierl, one of the Blaze coaches, said that other than paying for them on their own, one of the only other options for these families is to apply for assistance through the Challenged Athlete Foundation.
"Even this can be tricky," Kierl said. "Because each family can only apply once every two years."
Blaze team members Colin Cutter and Adam Saldana each proved to be valuable commodities throughout the game. Both boys have played GODSA sports since age four, and now at age 16, the pair are well-seasoned athletes.
"I've always played basketball, tennis, and track and field," said Saldana, who is also a member of the Putnam City High School swim team.
"We have grown up around this, so it's just like the sports that anyone else would play," said Cutter, a sophomore at Piedmont High School. "It's just what we like and what we do," he said.
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