McCall-based Courageous Kids Climbing announced today that they would once again be bringing their adaptive climbing program to the Spokane Valley YMCA in September. The event is free to the first twenty children between the ages of 3 months and 103 years with special needs, physical or developmental, who pre-register for the event. The event is scheduled to run from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 15.

Courageous Kids Climbing is an organization that provides free opportunities for children with special needs, physical or developmental to participate in the various forms of rock climbing at events held throughout Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California. To date, the organization has conducted over 30 events reaching nearly 500 children.

Climbing has been shown to help children with developmental disabilities by providing them the opportunity to enhance their focusing skills, practice their hand/eye coordination and fine-tune their problem-solving skills. For the children with physical challenges, the organization has several special harnesses and lifting devices, which allows them to take the child from their horizontal world and let them experience the vertical world.

The organization travels with a variety of special harnesses and lifting devices that enables them to share the climbing experience with those kids who have physical challenges.

Event Coordinator Jeff Riechmann of Courageous Kids Climbing said, “We are very excited to be returning to the greater Spokane area. For the past three years we have held a spring event in Spokane. It is awesome that the YMCA approached us with the invitation to conduct a fall event in the greater Spokane area and then invited us back for another fall event.”

Event organizers are also looking for local climbers who would want to volunteer their time to serve as belayers and coaches for the courageous climbers.

The organization also supports the Courageous Kids Scholarship Funds at the University of Idaho and University of Antelope Valley.

Courageous Kids Climbing maintains its non-profit status by being a member of the McCall Community Improvement Corporation.

Pre-registration is required so that event organizers can insure that they have the appropriate equipment on hand to accommodate each and every child that participates.

To sign up your child with special needs or to volunteer for the event, send Riechmann an e-mail at jeffriechmann@cs.com or visit Courageous Kids Climbing on Facebook for more information.

– Courageous Kids Climbing