Image: BORP logo in blue and orange, a stylized drawing of person in a moving wheelchair plus the words BORP adaptive sports and recreation.

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Looking Back and Looking Ahead 

This is an exciting time of year all-around and BORP is no exception! Board Member Kathi Pugh hosted our first of several planned House Parties and we've just concluded our Giving Tuesday campaign where we exceeded our goal by more than 50%. It is truly a season of generosity. We are so honored by the support of this community.

This is our last newsletter of 2023 so it's fitting that we share some plans for the months ahead. Many of you will have received our year end mailer in which we talk about our plans for 2024 and beyond (you can find it here the website: You Can't do this with AI). In that letter we also feature BORP Program Associate Jorge Macias. I've had the good fortune of training and competing with Jorge on the basketball court and climbing wall for several years now, so I've experienced first hand the impact he has as a BORP participant and staff member. Jorge's story is also part of the East Bay Times' Share the Spirit campaign. Please do share the spirit! 

The underpinning of our mailer, and hopefully all our communications, is transparency. As we evolve and grow, we want to keep the lines of communication open. We want your feedback. BORP's super power is our community: so involved, so passionate, so caring. 

In the new year we are going to be rolling out a membership program for our participants and our donors. There might be some bumps, but we ask you to bear with us. After the initial account set-up (that might take you 2-10 minutes), and the likely growing pains as we work out the kinks, your membership account will make it easier to communicate with us and participate in programming.

This weekend, I'm looking forward to a Bay Area history handcycle tour with longtime BORP participant Brad Frazee. Next weekend I'll be at the Goalball tournament at James Kenney Community Center. Hope to see some of you there! 

In community,

Image: A newspaper clipping of the East Bay Times' Share the Spirit article featuring Jorge Macias, with a photo of Jorge, Emily and another participant exercising in the BORP Fitness Center,

In case you are not familiar with the term, "House Parties" are often used by grassroots or political campaigns to raise money while building community support. In a nutshell, a house party campaign:

• creates a low risk opportunity for people with shared values and purpose to connect on a human level, have a good time, and share ideas;
• is an efficient way to impart a significant amount of information and strategic vision in a concise way while fundraising; and
• it is easily replicable: meaning a guest at one house party might feel that they would like to host their own, and so on.

Our first House Party exceeded expectations to put it mildly. It raised more than 400% of our financial goal and led to our second House Party to be hosted on February 1st. If you are interested in being invited to or hosting a BORP house party, please email andrew@borp.org

Mark your calendars for The Rev: May 12, 2024

It's Mother's Day, but what better way to celebrate your mom than going on a ride for a good cause? Plus, if you are among the first 10 riders to raise $500 (by February 28th!), you'll earn a complimentary stay at the Santa Rosa Hyatt on the Saturday night before the ride. Look for the Rev website to go live on January 5th.

In the meantime, help spread the word. You can let folks you ride with know by sharing the link (where you can also download Sponsorship Information): www.borp.org/the-revolution/

Image 1: Photo from last year's Rev of riders gathered for the ride safety talk. Superimposed is: "Save the date for the Revolution Ride, May 12, 2024.

Announcements

We are excited to announce the return of the BORP Goalball Invitational Tournament, Saturday December 9th 2023 at the James Kenney Community Center. Contact Brandon Young for more details, brandon@borp.org.

Image: Man in black t-shirt and goalball goggles rolling the ball in the James Kenny gym. A volunteer (or referee?) stands behind him.

New Fitness Class Alert: Seated Tai Chi for the Blind and Visually Impaired



16-week session starts Wednesday, January 10 10:30 AM PST

Join instructor Sifu Ralph Somack for this free pilot program BORP is developing in partnership with Lighthouse and East Bay Center for the Blind. You will learn the first 24 movements of the Sun Style system. Sun Style is particularly well-suited to people new to Tai Chi as it is easy to perform and it contains powerful Qigong influences that calm the mind and promote deep breathing. For details or to register, click here or email cynthia@borp.org.

Image: Photo of Ralf Somak, in black robes standing in front of a green hedge.

At the Expo in October, many community members had a chance to test out the Lotus Ring. It’s a wearable ring that controls objects at home by pointing. No rewiring, no apps, no internet.

Lotus' mission is to build technology that is usable by everybody, by optimizing for disability first. Their team is seeking participants to try out the Lotus Ring in their own homes for a 30-day pilot program. If you live in or around the San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in learning more about the pilot, please fill out the Lotus Pilot Sign Up Form. If you have any questions about the pilot, you can reach the Lotus team at helpdesk@lotuslabs.org.

Sports Basement Coupon for BORP Supporters

The coupon offer 20% off for Basementeers (others get 11% off). It's Valid from 12/8-12/16/23. Coupon is not valid on trips, rentals, services or bikes.

See website for exclusions.

Coupon combines with store specials and markdowns, but not other coupons! Valid in-store and online.

• Shop online with code: 2050012648477
• Or take this coupon with on your phone to be scanned at check out.

Image: Sports Basement coupon with graphics of present and offer as described above.

Alameda County Mental Health Services Division has launched a Community Input Survey (click to open) to gather insights about mental health needs, trends, and resources. Your feedback will help pinpoint areas in need of improvement. The survey is for residents of Alameda County, and is anonymous and confidential.

BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our mission is to improve the health, independence and social integration of children, youth and adults with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sports, fitness, and recreation programs. www.borp.org

Image 1: BORP logo in blue and orange, a stylized drawing of person in a moving wheelchair plus the words BORP adaptive sports and recreation. Image 2: Facebook logo. Image 3: Instagram logo. Image 4: YouTube logo. Click Social Media logos for BORP social media.