Low Key Watersports and Great Expectations Hosting SCUBA for Disabled VeteransWritten by Tradewinds Staff
Friday, 03 December 2010 06:00After completing a course in the pool at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a SUDS participant, above, got his diving certificate in St. John waters last year. The group is back on St. John with a new group of divers this week.Low Key Watersports in Cruz Bay will again help sponsor an Adaptive Dive Program based out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., called Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba (SUDS) the first week of December.The group of 11 will be staying at Great Expectations near Chocolate Hole and diving will be provided by Low Key Watersports. They will be on St. John from December 2 through 7. The SUDS Program is for veterans who have received severe injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aquatic therapy and scuba diving can be very beneficial to the rehabilitation process and promotes mobility.
The injured veterans do their initial SCUBA training at Walter Reed and then travel to the Caribbean to complete their dive certification. The SUDS Program runs eight to 10 trips a year and this St. John trip will be the group’s second time on St. John. SUDS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and a chapter of the Wounded Warrior/Disabled Sports Project.
When the SUDS group was on St. John the first time in the Spring 2009, the local community really came together to support the injured veterans. Any and all contributions, whether in services or in donations, are very much appreciated. In addition, the one area where immediate assistance is needed is food.
Anyone interested in providing a breakfast, lunch or dinner for a group of 11, should contact Carla Chatterton at (207) 504-6661 or carla@johnchatterton.com