KU News Release

KU AbleHawks to sponsor wheelchair basketball game

LAWRENCE — AbleHawks, an organization for University of Kansas students with disabilities, will help sponsor a wheelchair basketball game Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Student Recreation Fitness Center immediately following the 5 p.m. KU-Iowa State men’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse.

The event, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., will feature the Kansas Wheelhawks and the Kansas City Thunder teams. KU mascot Baby Jay will be there, and and Jayhawk face tattoos will be given away. It is free and open to the public. The recreation center is located at 1740 Watkins Center Drive on the Lawrence campus, just east of the fieldhouse.

One of the aims of the match is to demonstrate the possibilities for individuals using wheelchairs to excel athletically, said Melissa Manning, associate director of Disability Resources in KU’s Academic Achievement and Access Center, co-sponsor of the wheelchair basketball game.

KU students began AbleHawks in September 2004 with the goal of raising awareness of disability issues on the KU campus and providing an opportunity for students to join together in promoting disability as a multicultural and diversity issue. Katey Birge, a senior from Denver, Colo., is president, and John Wade, outreach coordinator for Counseling and Psychological Services, is adviser to the organization.

Former KU students Ray Petty of Lawrence and Mike Bottary of Leavenworth are among those on the Kansas Wheelhawks team, which includes males and females ages 13 to 56.

For additional information about the game or Disability Resources, go to www.achievement.ku.edu or contact Manning at (785) 864-2620 or manning@ku.edu

For more information on the Kansas Wheelhawks, go to www.KansasAccessibleSports.com. For additional information on wheelchair basketball, including rules, player classifications, teams and tournaments, check the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Web site at www.nwba.org.

AbleHawks student officers are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names, previous school attended and position.

COWLEY COUNTY
From Winfield 67156
Zach Coble, senior in applied behavioral science and political science, son of Van and Jeannette Coble; Winfield High School; vice president.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe 66061
Ryan Bertison, freshman in biology, son of Mark and Marianne Bertison; Olathe Northwest High School; recruitment chair.

From Shawnee 66216
Derek Zarda, senior in journalism and mass communications (strategic communications emphasis) and theatre and film; son of Kathy Zarda; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School; social chair.

COLORADO
From Denver 80210
Katey Birge, senior in history, daughter of Tom Birge; East High School; president.

JAPAN
From Kanagawa
Koko Tomita, senior in communication studies, daughter of Motomu Tomita; Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kan.; secretary.

From Nagano
Chiaki Gonda, senior in applied behavioral science with a minor in women’s studies, daughter of Yasuaki Gonda; Strayer University, Washington, D.C.; treasurer.

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