Making Moves Together
September 20, 2023
We have officially launched our new community service and charitable giving arm: OAHSTRIDES – Orthopedic Associates of Hartford Philanthropic Initiative. The mission of OAHSTRIDES is to empower residents in the Greater Hartford area to improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being through movement and mobility.
“OAHSTRIDES promotes active lifestyles by giving under-resourced families and people in the Greater Hartford region the support they need to participate in sports, the arts and other activities that build essential life skills,” said Kristina Bontempo, Board Chairperson of OAHSTRIDES.
To date, OAHSTRIDES has completed its first grant campaign, focused on children and sports – Show Us How You Make Your Moves. Studies show that kids who participate in sports earn better grades, have increased attendance and learn important life skills. Sports also help kids develop good habits and help them to make smarter, healthier choices. However, participating in sports can be cost-prohibitive for many kids in the Greater Hartford Community. OAHSTRIDES believes that all kids should be able to participate in sports, so we awarded the following organizations funding for their programs:
Riverfront Recapture Crew Team: The goal of Riverfront Recapture is to engage rowers at a young age so they can gain experience, with the potential for college scholarships. Our donation consisted of a coxed-four rowing shell to better accommodate their middle-school-aged rowers.
CT Children’s Inpatient Mental Health / Psychiatric Unit: Movement is so important for people suffering from mental health issues. Therefore, we provided CT Children’s inpatient mental health patients with exercise equipment. The package included a treadmill, yoga mats, and therapy balls.
Capitol Squash: Capitol Squash aims to provide inner-city youth opportunities through the sport of squash, intensive education support, mentoring, and community service activities. We are supporting their Varsity initiative by providing uniforms, goggles, shoes, and racquets.
Summit Adaptive Sports: SAS’s program supports individuals with disabilities to foster a healthy lifestyle through outdoor sports. We will be purchasing ski race gates for these children.
“Just as OAH strives to build confidence in patients, OAHSTRIDES is taking strides to promote confidence, physical health, social well-being, and a sense of belonging by engaging underserved populations in athletics and the arts. And we’re making strides in improving lives,” said Pietro Memmo, MD, President, Orthopedic Associates of Hartford.