U.S. Association of Blind Athletes Finalist for El Pomar Foundation’s Award for Excellence

The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is honored to announce that it has been named a finalist for El Pomar Foundation’s Awards for Excellence in the Sports & Recreation category.  The Awards for Excellence program was established in 1989 by the El Pomar Foundation to honor the outstanding achievements of Colorado’s nonprofit organizations.

A statewide selection commission of distinguished Coloradoans, appointed annually by the Trustees of El Pomar Foundation, selects nonprofit organizations that do exemplary work.  Each year a winner and two finalists are selected in eleven categories that reflect specific areas of service in the nonprofit sector.  Categories include: Arts & Humanities, Community, Education, Environment, Health Care-Large, Health Care-Small, Seniors, Self-Sufficiency, Special Projects, Sports & Recreation, and Youth Development.  One overall winner from each category is chosen for the Julie and Spencer Penrose Award, honoring the most outstanding organization.

“It is truly an honor to be named a finalist for El Pomar’s Awards for Excellence,” said Kevin Szott, President of USABA’s Board of Directors.  He added, “It is a tribute to the impact made by our athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff.”

2005 was a banner year for the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes which was highlighted by the International Blind Sports Association World Youth Championships hosted by USABA.  Nearly 300 blind and visually impaired athletes and an additional 200 support staff from across the globe descended upon Colorado Springs for a week of spirited competition.  Team USA consisted of 34 athletes, three of which from Colorado, of the best of the best in America.  The success of the event would not have been possible without the support of the volunteer community as well as our foundation and corporate partners.

The Awards for Excellence banquet will be held on November 29 at the Broadmoor International Center as more than one thousand community and nonprofit leaders will celebrate the achievements of the finalists.  During the banquet, one winner from each category will be chosen, in total there are 33 finalists from across Colorado.

The United States Association of Blind Athletes, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, which continually draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.