BVL DONATES $100,000 GRANT TO SUPPORT NEW VA THERAPY PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

FAIRFAX, Va. (May 7, 2020) – BVL (Bowlers to Veterans Link) is donating a $100,000 grant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support two new programs – Compassionate Contact Corps and Tele-yoga therapy. These funds allow veterans to keep a virtual personal connection during the COVID-19 pandemic with programs that address essential ongoing physical therapy and mental health needs such as depression and suicide prevention.

BVL was founded in 1942 when bowlers across America raised funds to purchase planes to bring wounded servicemen and women home from World War II. BVL Board Chair John LaSpina emphasized that BVL’s commitment to veterans is just as strong in today’s crisis where many active-duty military and veterans are working as first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. “BVL has always been here for our veterans since 1942, and we will always be here for them with great appreciation,” said LaSpina. “It’s an honor for BVL to help fund these much-needed programs and to make this donation on behalf of a bowling community that salutes and supports our veterans.”

The BVL donation will be targeted towards two VA programs to address ongoing physical therapy and mental health needs. The VA is establishing Compassionate Contact Corps, a new program designed to recruit, train, and engage virtual volunteers to maintain contact with veterans who need that personal connection to other people between routine visits to the facility, or are otherwise isolated and vulnerable for depression. The VA has been working with the Office of Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, Geriatrics, Social Work and Chaplain Service to further develop the program.

The VA’s Whole Health Office is working to expand the Tele-yoga program to make it more readily available to Veterans with their certified yoga volunteers.  The BVL donation will also help purchase additional Tele-yoga kits (bag/mat/towel/blocks/band/water bottle) to allow veterans to continue with this recreation therapy. 

BVL is a highly-ranked 501c3 charity that funds recreation therapy programs to address the emotional and physical needs of veterans and active-duty military, including sports, music, crafts, technology, and adaptive equipment for rehabilitation activities. 

BVL is bowling’s oldest and own charity and is consistently acknowledged for efficient and effective programming delivered with extremely low overhead, providing more than $52 million in grants to VA hospitals and clinics since 1942. BVL has been recognized as one of “America’s Best Charities” by Independent Charities of America, earned a “Top-Rated” Nonprofit distinction from GreatNonprofits, and is also a member of the Combined Federal Campaign (#93325).

For more information on BVL, visit www.BVL.org.

BowlersMart is a proud supporter of the BVL

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