California Organization Accesses Their Spirit of Ability

In August of 2014, a Sacramento, CA, organization was awarded the fifth Ralph W. Braun Spirit of Ability Award. While the Golden State has its name derived from the golden light that basks the shorelines, there are other sources of sunshine in the lives of the residents there.

About Access Leisure in Sacramento 

Access Leisure is an organization that provides all community members with disabilities or serious injuries, ill and wounded veterans, and active-duty members of the military with over 500 different sports and recreational experiences annually. Year-round, they are out in the city putting on camping trips, baseball tournaments, power soccer, and anything else you can imagine for all ages.

Access Leisure operates under the City of Sacramento's Department of Parks and Recreation. This gives the group access to resources that allow them to reach such large numbers of people. Some events have over 200 attendees, which when your team is providing over 500 experiences a year, is pretty massive. The team is headed up by Annie Desalernos, and she accepted the award on behalf of the Access Leisure team. Access Leisure has full-time staff members but is largely manned by a dedicated group of volunteers.

"The ability to positively impact not just the individual that attends their events, but that person's family, friends, and the community at large, is what inspires each member of the Access Leisure staff to 'leave it all on the playing field' when they suit up for work," said Annie.