Community Outreach
The Michigan Thunderbirds take great pride in giving back to the community and serving as positive role models. When not competing, the T-Birds frequently put on basketball and hand-cycling demonstrations while making public appearances, promoting recreation and well-being for people with disabilities.
Request A Thunderbird Appearance
One of the most enjoyable aspects of community outreach for the Thunderbirds is the opportunity to serve as role models. The T-Birds believe people of all abilities can lead a successful life and participate in sports. If you would like the T-Birds to give a presentation at your school or organization, please contact Glen Ashlock at (734) 971-0277, ext. 33 or glen@aacil.org.
April 17, 2004 - Nicole McDonald and Glen Ashlock put on a wheelchair basketball demonstration at the Walk and Roll, a fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living. Wheelchair users and other members of the community were given the opportunity to try wheelchair basketball and other adapted sports. Several current and former T-Birds actively participate in this annual event, which supports the AACIL's mission of improving lives for people with disabilities. By putting on wheelchair basketball demonstrations, the T-Birds show their skill while introducing people to the game.
March 18, 2004 - The Thunderbirds received a grant from Wright & Filippis to match our contribution to the MSU Adapted Sports Fund.
March 14, 2004 - T-Birds' players Jerry Sarasin, Duane Pinkston, and Glen Ashlock participated in the 2004 Detroit St. Patrick's Day parade, shooting hoops with a moving basket along the parade route.
March, 2004 - The Thunderbirds worked with Access Services at Eastern Michigan University to establish the EMU Foundation Adapted Sports Fund. With the establishment of the fund, the EMU Foundation can actively raise money to start sports programs at the university for students with disabilities. The Thunderbirds made the initial donation to open the fund.
Diversity Day is a program designed to educate students about the importance of diversity in our society. The Thunderbirds welcomed the opportunity to speak about their daily living experiences with a disability, emphasizing the benefits of active participation in sport. Following the presentation, the T-Birds scrimmaged against the Brighton Varsity Boys' team and won in convincing fashion!
November 20, 2003 - Glen Ashlock gave a presentation on adapted sports for the My Chance to Dance program in Ann Arbor. My Chance to Dance is a social and educational program that combines healthy living presentations with dance instruction for youths with disabilities. Glen showed slides and discussed some of the sports available to people with disabilities, demonstrated some adapted sports equipment, and provided local adapted sports resources.
September, 2003 - The Thunderbirds are helping to start a junior wheelchair basketball team along with the City of Southfield and Oakland County. Weekly practices are being held to introduce players to the basics of the game. If enough participants are interested, a team will be formed to play in some regional tournaments. Noelle Schlesselman, an assistant coach on the US women's wheelchair basketball team, and Claudia Brewer will be conducting practices and coaching the team.
May 31, 2003 - Jerry Sarasin, Matt Scott, Nicole McDonald, Kevin Wolf, and Glen Ashlock put on a wheelchair basketball demonstration at the Walk and Roll, a fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living and PVA Michigan. They demonstrated the game throughout the event and provided spectators the opportunity to play basketball from a wheelchair. The event was held at the Bowen fieldhouse on the campus of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI.
May 25, 2003 - Jerry Sarasin, Matt Scott, Nicole McDonald, and Kevin Page put on a wheelchair basketball demonstration in the St. Claire, MI Memorial Day parade. They played with a moving basket along the entire parade route.
May 16, 2003 - Jerry Sarasin and Glen Ashlock put on a wheelchair basketball demonstration at the Detroit Special Olympics on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. In addition to demonstrating wheelchair basketball, they helped Special Olympics participants shoot baskets and played against able-bodied participants.