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What is Outdoors Again?
Outdoors Again is a non-profit organization (501c3) created by Geoff and Mike Howe, owners of Howe & Howe Technologies. OA takes paralyzed/handicapped individuals camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, music concerts, sporting events and many other adventures with the help of volunteers and donations. We pride ourselves in alleviating some of the stresses of wheelchair users with planning, organizing and transporting as well as including other youth, veterans, ALS persons, paraplegics, quadriplegics within the wheelchair community to make connections with. All of our events are at no cost to our clients and their families. Planning and organizing is a huge part of what we do, but there are no words to describe the experience and bonds we create with each new event/adventure. To have the ability to be a part of and witness individuals regain a sense of hope, excitement and desire to get outdoors again and participate in activities they may never have imagined possible is an incredible experience within itself.
Outdoors Again provides wheelchair users opportunities they may have once enjoyed doing but haven't for years because of their disability/limitations. We create and organize events throughout the year that assist with re-integration into social settings and connections to those that may have some common areas with one another. For some, this may even be their first experience or first time leaving their home/program since their diagnosis, accident or injury. We have many individuals that find hope in our excursions as well as their means for social inclusion and look forward to each new adventure! Providing a second chance at enjoying the outdoors once again is our mission and we can and will continue to do so with the help of our volunteers, community donations and business/corporate sponsors. If you are a wheelchair user, please contact us to be included in our next adventure! If you wish to help us provide hope and the ability to continue offering events, please donate or sponsor our organization!
Outdoors Again provides wheelchair users opportunities they may have once enjoyed doing but haven't for years because of their disability/limitations. We create and organize events throughout the year that assist with re-integration into social settings and connections to those that may have some common areas with one another. For some, this may even be their first experience or first time leaving their home/program since their diagnosis, accident or injury. We have many individuals that find hope in our excursions as well as their means for social inclusion and look forward to each new adventure! Providing a second chance at enjoying the outdoors once again is our mission and we can and will continue to do so with the help of our volunteers, community donations and business/corporate sponsors. If you are a wheelchair user, please contact us to be included in our next adventure! If you wish to help us provide hope and the ability to continue offering events, please donate or sponsor our organization!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
2019
March 21
Harlem Globetrotters
Cross Insurance Arena
Portland, Maine
Game time is 6:00pm
We have purchased 40 tickets for this game with a guarantee of participating in half time events with the Globetrotters on the court! Email Holly is you would like to attend: hollym@outdoorsagain.org
May 17-19
Team Hoyt Weekend
The creators of Hoyt Running Chairs and their organization are hosting a weekend of inclusion. Legendary Dad and son team, Dick and Rick Hoyt will be present to participate in the Holland Elementary 5k race. On Sunday there is a Hoyt Running Chair Demo Day where you can visit the shop, test out models and see the evolution of the Hoyt Running Chair!
May 31
Nitro Circus Tour
Northeast Delta Dental Stadium
Manchester, New Hampshire
Showtime is 7:00pm
One of the craziest live shows ever! An adrenaline charged night of some of the top athletes and X Games Medalists in FMX, BMX, skateboard, scooter and more! We are planning cookout/luncheon pre-event.
July 14
Annual Bass Fishing Event
St. Joseph's College
278 Whitesbridge Road
Standish, ME
10:00am-3:00pm
Join us for a day of boat rides, fishing, live music, a cook out and lots of socializing! This is always our biggest event of the year and we have to thank all of our volunteers for making this event possible!!
September 22
Shaker Hill Apple Festival
147 Shaker Hill Road
Alfred, Maine
10:00am-3:00pm
The festival features crafters, live entertainment, hay rides, outdoor activities, antique cars, festival food, tours of the Shaker Museum and you can pick your own apples in the orchard!
Sunday, November 17th
Adaptive Painting Event
12:00pm-3:00pm
@ Bettys Dream in their Community Room
75 Long Meadow Lane
Portsmouth, NH
This is one of my favorite, more intimate events, where we all get to sit together, be social and paint! Lori is an amazing instructor and will guide us through a themed painting as well as give us the freedom to be creative and paint on our own. All adaptive equipment and supplies are provided by her and we will have a selection of crockpot items for lunch as well as drinks and snacks! If you are new to attending our events, this is a great one to go to! If painting isn't your thing, please come for the social part of it!
Saturday, December 7th
Maine Mariners Hockey Game
3:30 arrival/ 6:00pm game time
Cross Insurance Arena
1 Civic Center Square
Portland, ME
I'm excited about this game because if you all remember Mitchell Ketchen from the Mariners Hockey game last year, you'll be excited for the events he has included us in for this years game. The theme of this game is "Teddy Bear Toss" and all spectators will throw a stuffed bear they brought with them onto the ice when the Mariners score their first goal of the night! The bears will be collected and will be donated to the local fire department to be used to comfort children in emergency situations. The first 2,000 people will also receive a mini hockey stick and Mitchell has arranged for us to go out onto the ice pre-game and take a group picture! Arrival time is promptly at 3:30pm and we will then go onto the ice for our picture at 3:45, enjoy a buffet dinner at 4:00, have some social time in their Hall of Fame lounge until gates open at 5:00 and game time is at 6pm. OA will provide the teddy bears for our wheelchair guests. I have 30 tickets so I will need a solid confirmation
For more information, please feel free to email me: hollym@outdoorsagain.org
**as always...any event we create and plan is done at NO COST to our clients and their families**
FALL THEMED PAINTING EVENT/ICE CREAM SOCIAL IN KENNEBUNK 10/21/2018
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2019 ANNUAL BASS FISHING EVENT...another successful event on Sebago Lake at St. Joseph's College in Standish! This is our favorite event of the year and it continues to grow with new guests, their family's, volunteers and our sponsors! This is why we love what we do!!!
ROBERT KRAFT AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS FOUNDATION DONATE IN THE NAMES OF 2018 MYRA KRAFT COMMUNITY MVP AWARD WINNER
Tony Tulo of Milton, N.H. awarded a $10,000 grant for the nonprofit, Outdoors Again.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — On Tuesday, June 12, 26 volunteers were recognized for their contributions at an awards ceremony at Gillette Stadium. In years past, the Kraft family has provided $200,000 in grants to New England based nonprofit organizations in honor of their outstanding volunteers. As Robert Kraft begins his 25th season of ownership, he surprised the award winners by announcing that he would be increasing the grant amounts by a total of $75,000. As a result of this surprise announcement, 25 local volunteers received a $10,000 grant for the nonprofit organization for which they volunteer and one grand prize winner was presented with a $25,000 grant for their charity.
“I look forward to this program every year as it gives us an opportunity to celebrate community volunteers for their selfless acts of volunteerism,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “We admire their commitment to serving others and through this program, we are excited to provide financial support to 26 different nonprofit organizations that are making a difference in their local communities. We thank this year’s winners for their incredible dedication.”
On hand to congratulate the award winners were Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, New England Patriots Foundation President Joshua Kraft and Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer and Patriots Executive Director of Community Affairs Andre Tippett.
Tony Tulo of Milton, N.H. was selected as one of this year’s $10,000 award winners.
Back in 2006, Tony was injured in a logging accident and is now a quadriplegic, confined to a wheel chair. As somebody who always enjoyed the outdoors, he vowed to never let his accident stop him from doing the things that he loves.
Six years ago, he learned about a new nonprofit organization called Outdoors Again, which provides outdoor activities and programs for handicapped and paralyzed individuals. Tony immediately began volunteering his time and has been on the board of directors since the nonprofit’s inception in 2012.
“I want to start by saying how grateful I am to be nominated and then selected as a Myra Kraft Community MVP Award winner,” said Tony. “I never thought anything like this could even happen because I don't consider what I do volunteering. I just want to help my fellow chair users get out of their daily grind and go do something they wouldn't normally be able to do.”
The nonprofit serves a wide range of clients including people with ALS, veterans and youth and gives them a chance to participate in outdoor activities including hunting and fishing.
Tony helps to share his story and develops relationships with clients who are experiencing similar situations as him. Tony has a tremendous ability to build trust with new clients and teaches them that they can still live a full and exciting life.
“Simple things that we all take for granted now can require serious planning, help and possibly funds depending on the activity,” Tony continued. “I'm extremely excited that the word is spreading about Outdoors Again and that we're getting more and more requests to attend our events. Where we live there's not a lot of options for things to do for someone in a wheelchair so when I see a new person attend an event and they start to open up and smile ear to ear, I know that everything we do is all worth it.”
Tony (Visionary Council) receives his very own Ripchair from his co-workers at Howe & Howe Tech
If you or someone you know is interested in taking part in an Outdoors Again event please contact us using the link below!
You can also donate to Outdoors Again by clicking the button below
Thank you to all of our sponsors!
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