For immediate release:

First-Ever Wheelchair Basketball Challenge at Cal State L.A.

What:
California State University, Los Angeles will present “Hoop Challenge”: Rancho Wheelchair Sports Program’s “Rancho Renegades” will play against Cal State L.A. students, staff, administrators and faculty, who will attempt to compete in basketball using wheelchairs. Organized by the Cal State L.A. Office for Students with Disabilities, this event commemorates Disability Awareness Week.

Who:
Affiliated with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, the “Rancho Renegades” basketball team members include Ramon Cervantes, Juan Garibay, Miguel Montoya, Juan Muñoz and Diego Rodriguez. Juan Muñoz (Pasadena resident), who coordinated this event, will be completing his bachelor’s degree this fall at Cal State L.A. and will pursue a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling.

When:
Friday, October 17, 2003, 12 noon – 2 p.m.

Where:
Cal State L.A. Eagles Nest Gymnasium. The University is located at the Eastern Avenue exit, San Bernardino (I-10) Freeway, at the interchange of the 10 and 710 Freeways. Public (permit dispensers) parking is available in Lots C and G, or the top level of North Parking Structure II.

More:
Developed in 1987 at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, the Rancho Wheelchair Sports Program currently provides 50 of Rancho’s in-and-out patients with the opportunity to participate in success-oriented physical activities. The Rancho Wheelchair Sports Program, sponsored by Las Floristas, aims to assist participants in the development of lifetime physical fitness behaviors, which can improve the overall quality of life and increase longevity. Academic achievement is also stressed, and seasoned athletes serve as role models/peer tutors for the younger or newly injured participants.

Info:
For more information, contact the Cal State L.A. Office for Students with Disabilities, Tomas Vasquez or Gonzalo Centeno, at (323) 343-3140.

Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is the provider of choice for medical rehabilitation in the United States. Rancho’s rehabilitation program is comprised of centers of excellence that are designed to ensure continuity and quality of care. As an integral component of the Los Angeles County-Department of Health Services, Rancho serves the needs of the disabled community by providing specialized medical and rehabilitation services to maximize the individual’s quality of life, and by promoting education and research to continuously improve care.

California State University, Los Angeles, is a comprehensive university at the heart of a major metropolitan city. The 175-acre hilltop campus is located five miles east of Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. Since 1947, Cal State L.A. has been a leader in providing quality higher education. Today, the campus comprises a faculty of internationally recognized scholars and artists, and more than 21,000 students with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds that reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. The CSU: A leader in high-quality, accessible, student-focused higher education.

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