Halifax Community Participated in Parasport, Met Paralympic Athletes and Learned How to Get Involved during International Day for People with a Disability

OTTAWA – Dec. 6, 2011 – The Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic would like to thank and congratulate their sport partners for collaborating to Halifax's first-ever Canadian Paralympic Committee Parasport Festival on Saturday, December 3 to mark the International Day for People with a Disability.

Parasport Festivals offer Canadians, both able-bodied or those with a disability, a chance to try a parasport for themselves and discover opportunities to get involved – whether as a participant/athlete, coach, guide or volunteer.

“I have to give it a 10 out of 10,” enthuses Peter Dyke, a former competitive swimmer who volunteered at the event after seeing a poster at the Canada Games Centre. “Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the activities that were there. I was very pleased with the atmosphere; it was very electric and fantastic.”

Dyke helped with set up and tear down as well as at the wheelchair basketball demonstration games which attracted both kids and adults, both able-bodied and those with a disability. Never having been involved in parasport before, Dyke has become inspired to continue volunteering.

“It’s a big job, but all the smiling faces make it worth it,” he says.

Parasports showcased in Halifax included wheelchair basketball, para-athletics, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair rugby, sailing, canoe/kayak, wheelchair curling, sledge hockey, waterski/wakeboard and wheelchair tennis.

For PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS from the event, click here.

For the RADIO INTERVIEW on News 95.7 CJNI-FM with Laura Ferris, Coordinator, Recruitment Program Support, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Halifax's Jackie Marciano, track and field athlete, click here.

For MORE INFORMATION on getting involved in parasport, please visit: www.paralympic.ca/getinvolved

A special thanks to the athletes who attended: Ian Kent (Table Tennis), Dave Durepos (wheelchair basketball), Jackie Marciano (athletics), Shayne Dobson (athletics), Dave Waters (canoe/kayak), Tom Swinkles (swimming) and Daniel Murphy (swimming);

And a big thank you to the Volunteers, Coaches, Athletes and Administrators from: Festival partners Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and our sport partners from Nova Scotia Flying Wheels, Valley Athletics, Swim Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Table Tennis Association, Nova Scotia Spokebusters, Sledge Hockey Nova Scotia, Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, Sail Able Nova Scotia, Curling Nova Scotia, CADS Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Water Ski Association and Tennis Nova Scotia

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca

About Sport Nova Scotia
Sport Nova Scotia is a voice for amateur sport that promotes the benefits of health, personal development and achievement of all participants. Sport Nova Scotia is a non-profit, non-government organization representing over 60 provincial sport organizations and more than 160,000 member Nova Scotians.

About Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic
Since its inception in 1998, the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic (CSCA) has coordinated and delivered sport services to coaches and athletes throughout Atlantic Canada. In the past 11 years, it has developed partnerships and implemented programs that have helped build Atlantic Canada's high performance sport structure. The CSCA provides Sport Science, Sport Medicine and Life Services to Atlantic Canada's top athletes with the goal of helping our region's top athletes maximize their potential on the international sport scene. The CSCA is represented in all four Atlantic Provinces with offices in Fredericton, Charlottetown, St.John's and Halifax. Presently, over 150 athletes in the region benefit from the services provided by the CSCA and their staff.

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For more information please contact:

Alison Korn
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Phone: 613-569-4333 x243
Cell: 613-298-4927
E-mail: akorn@paralympic.ca

Laura Ferris
Coordinator, Recruitment Program Support
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Phone: (613) 569-4333 x233
E-mail: lferris@paralympic.ca

www.paralympic.ca/getinvolved
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