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Alternatives in Motion announces endurance award winners

Coleen Davis
Alternatives in Motion
10/19/16 03:16pm
metro Nonprofit Dispatches

This dispatch was added by one of our Nonprofit Neighbors. It does not represent the editorial voice of The Rapidian or Community Media Center.

The AIM High Awards will feature a Paralympic medalist, a new volunteerism award, and a prize auction.
Winner Danielle Musto with her students and keynote speaker Mackenzie Woodring.

Winner Danielle Musto with her students and keynote speaker Mackenzie Woodring. /Danielle Musto

Woodring (left) with tandem bike partner Shawn Cheshire.

Woodring (left) with tandem bike partner Shawn Cheshire. /Mackenzie Woodring

Dallas Van Deusen completes a half-ironman race.

Dallas Van Deusen completes a half-ironman race. /My Team Triumph

Alternatives in Motion has announced the 5th Annual AIM High Endurance Awards winners. This year’s event, featuring keynote speaker Mackenzie Woodring, will raise funds to provide people in need with access to wheelchairs and repair services.

The ceremony, held November 10th, will honor over 30 endurance athletes who completed the West Michigan Endurance Challenge and the winners of six publicly-nominated awards:

Moving People Forward Award: Daniel Spranger and Dallas Van Deusen are My Team Triumph captains. Both wheelchair-bound, they have encouraged and inspired other athletes during countless races.

Lifetime Contribution Award: Craig Van Ess​ has competed in triathlons for over 25 years. With his 16 Ironman races, he has raised over $1 million for Habitat for Humanity of Kent County​.

Individual Accomplishment Award: Nick Long started Fusion Medical​ and NeuroCare Home Health​ to provide supplies and care for people who need it most. An active wheel athlete, he is the driving force behind the Grand Rapids Thunder Rugby team.

Inspiration Award: Danielle Musto​ runs Grand Rapids Dirt Dawgs​, a kids' mountain biking team. She inspires confidence, community, and a positive can-do attitude in her kids.

Corporate Dedication Award: Priority Health​ is involved in the endurance community by providing support for athletes as well as a summer run camp.

The first recipient of our newest award, the George Ranville Volunteerism Award: Ira Trowbridge volunteered at AIM last year, cleaning chairs and fixing equipment. This January, he passed away after fighting MS for 7 years.

Guests will eat great food at the Thousand Oaks Golf Club location, bid on prizes ranging from race tickets to ballet tickets, and celebrate what Alternatives in Motion has accomplished this past year.

Tickets start at just $100 a seat; those who choose certain sponsorship levels are invited to a private reception with Woodring, a 2008 and 2016 Paralympic tandem bike cyclist and medalist.

As a result of the generous donations raised through the awards, last year, Alternatives in Motion helped 148 individuals and families in financial need gain access to the equipment and quality of life they feared they would never be able to afford.

By Juliana Ludema

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