For immediate release october 17, 2013

Decatur , GA, October 17, 2013– BlazeSports America and BP present the first annual Georgia Disability Sport Awards October 27, 2013 at the DeKalb History Center at the Old Courthouse on Decatur Square from 2pm – 4 pm. The ceremony will award athletes with physical disabilities in the following six categories: junior, adult and military athlete, and junior, high school and adult team who participate in adaptive recreational and competitive sports. An award will also be given to the coach and volunteer of the year. Paralympians and Olympians living in Georgia along with family and friends will be at the event to cheer on the nominees.

Kerry Kanvanaugh with WSB-TV Atlanta is the MC for the event, the first of its kind held in Georgia. The goal is to unite and recognize Paralympic and disability sport athletes across the state, this year and for years to come. BlazeSports serves approximately 5,000 youth, adults and veterans annually through its year-round Paralympic sport and community programs across Georgia.

“We realized that there was no statewide mechanism to acknowledge the accomplishments of our young people and veterans with a physical disability and all the individuals that go the extra mile to create opportunities for kids in Georgia to be active”, says Jeff Jones, Director of Sport and Community Programs on the need for such a recognition program.

BlazeSports America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is the legacy organization of the 1996 Paralympic Games held in Atlanta, GA. These games, the first held on American soil, were the realization of the dreams of thousands of Americans involved in the growth and promotion of sports for persons with physical disabilities in the United States. BlazeSports programs and services encourage lifelong health, build leadership skills, foster independence and inclusion, and promote an inclusive society.

For more information about the First Annual Georgia Disability Sport Awards, please contact Jeff Jones at 404.270.2000 or by email at jjones@blazesports.org.