Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Awards $15,000 Quality of Life Grant to Alachua Conservation Trust to Increase Accessibility at Public Preserves

February 14, 2024

Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) is proud to announce that it has been awarded $15,000 as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) 2023 Direct Effect 2nd Cycle Quality of Life grants. Fifty-nine grants totaling $1,271,125 were awarded. The Quality of Life Grants Program supports non-profit organizations that empower individuals living with paralysis. Since the Quality of Life Grants Program’s inception, more than 3,770 grants totaling $43 million have been awarded. Funding for this program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living.

The Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center has several grants under the Quality of Life program awarding grants in different category areas, varying in different amounts. The Direct Effect grants program funds organizations to support a wide range of projects and activities that will impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.

“These awards are about restoring independence to our constituents,” said Dan McNeal, Director of the Quality of Life Grants Program, Reeve Foundation. “Our work and number one goal are to enhance the quality of life of people living with paralysis. It is our honor to continue to collaborate with so many dedicated organizations, which have selflessly given their time and efforts to ensure that accessibility and inclusivity remain embedded in the fabric of their programs.”

ACT will use the grant to purchase a trail adapted wheelchair to increase access to our 13 public preserves with nearly 20 miles of trails through the unique protected North Central Florida habitat. “ACT is honored to receive this award from an organization committed to making our world more accessible and are so grateful to bring the benefits of this program into our community,” stated ACT’s Executive Director, Tom Kay. ACT is developing a program for the community to utilize the all terrain wheelchair, which will roll out in the early fall of 2024.

About the Reeve Foundation:

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, they are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discoveries across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 100,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community’s voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence.

For more information about the Reeves Foundation, please visit their website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

For additional information about the project, please contact ACT at info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org or (352) 373-1078.