UTICA, NY — The Utica College men’s and women’s hockey teams are partnering with the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Thursday to help teach 33 blind and visually impaired kids how to play hockey. The clinic will run from 11:30 a.m.-2pm. The Pioneers and CABVI will also welcome a goalie from the New York Nightshades, one of the only blind hockey teams in the United States.
This activity is a kickoff event for CABVI’s second annual Camp Abilities Winter Camp. Camp Abilities is a youth development program for children and teens who are blind or visually impaired. The program empowers kids with visual loss to remain physically active, participate in leisure activities, engage in physical education classes, use technology and develop independent living skills that will last a lifetime.
Multiple times during the year Camp Abilities-CABVI offers overnight programs, a summer camp and a winter camp. Activities at camp include: tandem biking, beep baseball or kickball, snowshoeing, cooking skills, technology instruction and now ice hockey! New experiences are added each year.
Following each experience, the CABVI staff meets with the blind and visually impaired students at home or, in their school and their communities to ensure that the newly acquired skills are retained and expanded.
To learn more about programs, camp or how to becoming a counselor, call Kathy Beaver at 1-877-719-9996 or e-mail [email protected].
