Hollywood, Fla., September 16, 2024 – Memorial Rehabilitation Institute’s Sharks Wheelchair Basketball team received a surprise check valued for $25,000 at an event held by Memorial Regional Hospital South. The generous donation was made by Hollywood resident Kyoko Harigaya Brogdon after Amaury Cifuentes, a board member of Memorial and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundations, shared the inspiring story of the Sharks. This contribution will significantly enhance the wheelchair basketball program by funding the addition of a new National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) team.
Initially started with a single adult team, the Sharks have grown over the past 11 seasons with the addition of a pediatric team along with more adult teams. The donation will allow for the creation of a new beginner team providing more players the opportunity to join the wheelchair basketball community. The Sharks will field 5 NWBA teams this year and have seen great success in recent years, winning a NWBA Division 2 title in 2021 and a NWBA Division 3 title in 2022. Last year, the Lady Sharks competed in their inaugural season as the first women’s team in the state of Florida.
Arnold Barnes, a founding member of the Sharks, spoke about what the Sharks mean to him, saying, “It’s like a family. You might be having your worst day, but by going around and meeting the guys, you get a pep and feel totally different. It means a lot”. Mr. Barnes thanked the donor, saying, “From the bottom of our hearts we would like to say thank you”.
The team consists of players of a wide range of ability levels. Wheelchair basketball players include individuals living with spinal cord injury, multi trauma, congenital conditions, amputations, and other orthopedic conditions, with ages ranging from 10-60 years old. Paolo Stanchi, adaptive sports and recreations specialist at Memorial South, thanked the donor saying, “Thank you so much, it means a lot to us and our community, this will allow us to add new players and grow our team.”
Attending on the day, CEO of Memorial Regional Hospital South, Phil Wright, praised the program for offering players a vital outlet to stay active, competitive, and connected. To make a donation to support Memorial’s Fort Lauderdale Sharks, visit the https://www.mhs.net/give-back/donate-now Select “Other” and type in “Sharks” in the ‘Designation’ dropdown box after clicking on ‘Donate.’
About Memorial Regional Hospital South
Memorial Regional Hospital South is a 280-bed facility that offers a wide range of healthcare services in a compassionate, collaborative setting. It is home to the Memorial Rehabilitation Institute, South Florida’s largest provider of physical rehabilitation services, and includes a rehab unit specifically tailored to meet the needs of medically-complex patients.
Part of the Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood-based Memorial Regional Hospital South also features emergency care, women’s services, a sports medicine center, and adaptive sports program.
To learn more, visit them at www.mhs.net/locations/memorial-south.