MONTREAL – Team Global Montreal took to the courts at Lower Canada College on Saturday afternoon for a friendly game of wheelchair basketball, benefiting the Lasalle Action Centre.
For the seventh year, the centre is hosting the President’s Cup Basketball Tournament, part of Chair Aware month.
The event aims to increase recognition of the challenges of being in a wheelchair and to raise awareness about the difficulties encountered on a daily basis by people living with physical or cognitive deficiencies.
The centre has been offering services to individuals with motor and or cognitive limitations since 1998.
Senior manager, Ilham Bouzouma told Global News that people with physical disabilities are often excluded from the community for many different reasons.
And that’s where the centre comes in.
“We host them with open arms.” Bouzouma said. “They come to the centre to develop their skills and to socialize.”
According to Bouzouma, the most important thing the centre does is foster people’s self-esteem and independence through programs such as workshops on health and wellness, cooking classes and sporting activities.
READ MORE: Lasalle’s Action Centre has become second home to its members
The basketball tournament isn’t just about raising awareness — it’s also a key fundraiser for the group.
“We are a non-profit organization” Bouzouma said. “It’s really important for us to have funds from donors,” she added, as she took a moment to thank participants and sponsors.
According to Andrew Lindsay, vice chair of the board, the group only receives 25 per cent of it’s funding from the government.
It’s events like this one that allow the centre to keep offering quality services to its members.
At the end of the day, Team Global Montreal brought home the coveted President’s Cup but no matter the outcome on the courts, the real winner is still the Action Centre.