November 16, 2005

ECORA EXHIBITION OUTRIGGER CANOE TEAM TO COMPETE
@ 2006 IVF AOTEAROA WORLD SPRINTS

Cape Ability Outrigger 'Ohana (CAOO), Inc., a chapter of Disabled Sports USA is organizing a team of paddlers to represent ECORA at the Exhibition Races for paddlers with physical disabilities at the 2006 IVF Aotearoa World Sprints on Lake Karapiro, Aotearoa (New Zealand) March 21^st-25^th. The team will be composed of six paddlers with disabilities (3 women and 3 men) and six able-bodied paddlers (3 women and 3 men) who will compete in the V12 division. Paddlers with disabilities will also compete in the V6 and V1 races for men and women, new exhibition race classes offered by the IVF for the first time in the 2006 IVF Aotearoa World Sprints to demonstrate their support for expanded competitive outrigger canoeing opportunities and the vision of outrigger canoeing in Paralympic Games.

Founding members of CAOO, who have promoted this vision since 1998, served as a catalyst in the establishment of the inaugural exhibition race for paddlers with disabilities in the 2004 IVF Hilo World Sprints and participated in the first race along with Team Hawai'i, Canada and Italy. CAOO plans continued support of the Paralympic vision by participating in exhibition races at the 2006 IVF Aotearoa World Sprints .

Candidates for the ECORA team include paddlers with spinal cord injury, amputations and cerebral palsy. In the photo above, Air Force Sergeant Matt Profitt (seat #4) paddles in the Team Relay race of the 2005 Kent Island Cup, which was held over the Labor Day weekend at Kent Island, Maryland. Profitt participated in the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project Outrigger Canoeing program sponsored by ECORA.

Cape Ability Outrigger 'Ohana, Inc., intends to create a legacy that will provide elite athletes with disabilities a sporting chance to participate in sports at the international level. Our participation in the 2006 IVF World Sprints is important because the prestigious international event will serve as a stepping stone in the path to inclusion of the sport of outrigger canoe racing in the Paralympic Games.

To assist exhibition race paddlers in defraying the cost of travel to New Zealand, CAOO is accepting both monetary donations and United Airlines frequent flyer miles. Individuals wishing to donate frequent flyer miles may contact Jan Whitaker for information about the procedure, or visit United Airlines Mileage Plus to join the program and purchase/donate miles.

Donations and checks made payable to "Cape Ability Outrigger 'Ohana, Inc." may be sent to (or for more information, contact):

Jan Whitaker
560 Shore Drive
W. Henrietta, NY 14586
: janwhitaker@hotmail.com
: 585.292.6107

CAOO, Inc., is a subordinate unit of Disabled Sports USA, recognized as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under DS/USA’s IRS 501 c (3) Group Tax Exempt Status. Our IRS EIN number is 20-2386695. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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