Nebraska Game and Parks’ all-terrain wheelchair fleet just got a little bit larger.
The Heartland Chapter of the Dallas Safari Club, a nonprofit dedicated to getting youth outdoors, donated a track chair to the agency’s On Track Program during the recent Missouri River Outdoor Expo at Ponca State Park.
Track chairs, with their ability to navigate terrain that traditional wheelchairs cannot, provide people with limited mobility more ways to hike, hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors. With this donation, Game and Parks now has four track chairs available for public use at events, for mentored hunts, at shooting ranges and other activities and locations across Nebraska.
While Heartland DSC has their own mobility chair program, in learning about Game and Parks’, the organization saw an opportunity to expand the reach of their mission and increase the number of people who benefit from the two programs.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide the On Track Program with a mobility chair and look forward to seeing it get more people exposed to the outdoors,” said Chuck Kopocis, Heartland DSC secretary. “Heartland DSC does not want an individual’s physical abilities to be a barrier to experiencing the outdoors.”
Nebraska Game and Parks launched its On Track Program for the same reason in 2022, with the goal of being able to offer eight chairs for use across the state. The agency is utilizing donations, grants and internal funding sources to achieve that goal.
“We are grateful for Heartland DSC’s generosity and look forward to seeing the difference these chairs can make for park guests who might not have ever had the opportunity to experience all our parks have to offer,” said Jeff Fields, Parks Division administrator.
To inquire about using the available track chairs, call Ponca State Park at 402-755-2284.
To learn more about the program, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov. To learn more about Heartland DSC, visit HeartlandDSC.com.