NDAD) has awarded a $5,000 Adaptive Recreation Grant to Elks Camp Grassick to help expand adaptive recreation opportunities and improve accessibility throughout the camp.

Elks Camp Grassick has a long-standing commitment to providing meaningful outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities and health challenges. With support from NDAD, the camp will purchase new adaptive equipment designed to increase comfort, safety, and participation for campers with a wide range of physical needs.

Improving Comfort, Safety, and Participation

Grant funds will be used to purchase hammocks with supportive frames, secure hammock mounts, and durable, accessible benches. These enhancements will provide flexible options for both active and passive recreation, allowing campers to engage in activities that best suit their individual abilities and preferences.

“Elks Camp Grassick has a long history of creating meaningful outdoor experiences for individuals of all abilities, and NDAD is proud to support that mission,” said DeAnn Burckhard, Marketing Director at NDAD. “This grant helps strengthen the camp’s ability to offer inclusive, accessible recreation while ensuring campers feel supported, included, and empowered to participate in ways that meet their individual needs.”

Supporting Inclusive Outdoor Experiences

Camp leaders say the new equipment will help campers engage more fully in both individual and group activities. The additions will also support self-regulation, offering calming and comfortable spaces that allow campers to participate at their own pace. By creating more accessible and flexible recreational options, Elks Camp Grassick plans to increase inclusion and connection among campers while maintaining a supportive environment.

Part of a Statewide Investment in Adaptive Recreation

This award is one of 12 grants distributed statewide through NDAD’s Adaptive Recreation Grant program during the current funding cycle. In total, NDAD awarded $60,390 to organizations across North Dakota that are expanding inclusive recreational and physical activity opportunities for people with disabilities.

Through partnerships with organizations like Elks Camp Grassick, NDAD continues its commitment to enhancing quality of life by supporting accessible, inclusive recreation that allows people of all abilities to participate, relax, and thrive.