$500 Grant Awarded to Archers For Autism Archery Club

Archers for Autism is a state licensed archery club with a full membership of children with autism. They meet bi-weekly, approximately 13 times per year at the Outdoorsman archery range in Greenwood, Indiana. Archers for Autism is in their second year of existence, and membership has grown from 7 participants to over 30 participants in the first year. The club helps to promote peer interaction with the children and provide networking opportunities for the families. This year they will have a field trip to Brown County Indiana. This field trip will introduce the children to outdoor shooting, the arrow fletching technique and basic field craft.

The Outdoorsman archery range charges $7.00 per shooter, per day. It is the club’s goal to keep the program free for the families as some families have more than one child involved. The grant awarded will help the organization meet this goal for the year.

The archery program not only helps the children they serve, but also provides public education to the archery community in the areas of how archery and autism compliment each other as a sport. The archery program helps the children learn patience, physical and mental endurance, hand-eye coordination and a feeling of accomplishment. Archers for Autism utilizes the Minds in Motion program and compliments the program with visiting Occupational Therapists who work with the children while they are on a break.

Photo Credit: The Indianapolis Star