AMHERST, N.Y. — People attended a basketball game for a good cause on Sunday in Amherst.
The second annual Droppin' Dimes for Wheels fundraising wheelchair basketball game was hosted Sunday by Amherst Youth Basketball at the Clearfield Community Center. The aim was to raise awareness and promote inclusion across sports.
The team partnered with Buffalo Wheelchair Basketball to learn the rules, skills, and techniques of the adaptive game.
"It's a way for them to learn about somebody with a disability without having to really be preachy about it," Elizabeth Keicher, the program director for Buffalo Wheelchair Basketball, told 2 On Your Side.
"They get in they experience, what it's like for them, but they're also learning that the disabled athlete is an athlete, just like they are. They want to play on a competitive level, and they want to play an aggressive game."
Amherst Youth Basketball raised $15,000 last year, which allowed the organization to purchase four wheelchairs for Buffalo Rims, a youth Buffalo Wheelchair Basketball team that welcomes both physically disabled and non-disabled athletes. The adaptive-inclusive approach promotes unity and a level playing field, the group said.
Funds this will year will help cover costs associated with attending adaptive basketball camps, and in general, basketball-related expenses such as wheelchair transportation, maintenance, traveling for scrimmages, and more.
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