BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization founded after the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and a leader in the field of adaptive sports and recreation, announces the expansion of their Veteran Programs to include veterans with PTSD and or PTS. This expanded programming, which for the past ten years focused on those effected by physical disabilities, will help those veterans in need of mental health support.

According to a study by The National Council for Behavioral Health, less than 50% of returning veterans in need receive any mental health treatment, while nearly 30% of active duty and reserve military returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have a mental health condition requiring treatment. With approximately 600,000 veterans in the state of Georgia, BlazeSports welcomes participants in their new programs created to further assist veterans.

“We are thrilled to grow our veteran program to meet the needs of the hundreds of thousands of men and women in the southeast who have bravely served our country,” states Dawn Churi, Executive Director of BlazeSports. “It is our honor to give back to those who have given so much, which is why we have expanded our program to help those whose main ailment are disorders such as PTS and PTSD. We support these vets with sports and recreation activities, which are integral to the community reintegration process.”

BlazeSports is one of a few organizations in Metro Atlanta area that provides weekly assistance to these veterans as opposed to one-time events. BlazeSports, which already offers weekly veteran programs with a focus on those with physical disabilities, will now serve additional deserving veterans with a variety of sports and activities such as cycling, archery, tennis, water aerobics, bowling, CrossFit and more. The new family-centered offerings will bolster the current veterans program with activities throughout the week, with particular expansion to Saturdays to serve a younger demographic of veterans, who are young professionals with families.