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OPAF - 2006 Accomplishments
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Dear Orthotic & Prosthetic Community:

Below is a summary of the accomplishments for 2006 of OPAF, serving as the Official Philanthropy of the U. S. Orthotic & Prosthetic community. As we begin our second decade of service to amputees and those with physical challenges, let us remember that our goal and mission is to give back to those in need, by providing workshops and clinics that promote health and fitness and restore them to a lifestyle they may have thought lost to them.

  • Conducted five First Volley clinics across the country, including California, Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, reaching over 150 lives with adaptive tennis for ambulatory players.
  • Attended 14 state, regional and national O & P meetings, reaching out to both practitioners and manufacturers with our message and our programs to benefit not only their interest, but the interest of the patient and his activity level.
  • Created and instituted the first OPAF Advisory Board of Directors, drawing from both within the industry as well as outside for advice and counsel to the OPAF Board of Directors.
  • Launched First Swim™, adaptive swim techniques for those with physical challenges to give them more confidence in and around the water in August, 2006 and featured at the AOPA meeting in September, 2006
  • Created Strut Your Stuff, a custom design contest for the O & P industry to bring a bit of fun and whimsy to our national meetings. Held two contests, one for custom sockets and one for custom AFOs and awarded prizes for each.
  • Received a $20,000.00 grant from the United States Tennis Association, Tennis & Education Foundation to continue the work of developing and hosting First Volley tennis clinics across the country.
  • Hosted First Flop, a fundraising Texas Hold Em Poker Tournament at the AOPA Hollywood meeting for over 50 players.
  • Awarded the Dale Yasukawa Memorial Scholarship to Heidi Jeske, CO
  • Began recording the history of industry leaders so that their stories will not be lost in conjunction with the O & P History Project.
  • Held the first OPAF Board Retreat in Orlando, Florida, to brainstorm on where we are going with OPAF and our programs and to renew our focus.
  • Presented "OPAF and You" to both the New England Chapter of the Academy and the International African American Prosthetic & Orthotic Coalition to promote OPAF and its programs as a marketing tool to practitioners.
  • Received a $5,000.00 grant from the Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation to continue our work with First Swing adaptive golf clinics.
  • OPAF spring and summer programs were featured in the UpperEx email newsletter which appeals to upper extremity amputees
  • Hosted First Splat, a fundraising paint ball event, in conjunction with the inaugural Extremity Games in Orlando
  • Launched "Opportunities, Possibilities And Fun", the OPAF email newsletter to keep Friends of OPAF up to date on upcoming events as well as feature our sponsors, our programs and exciting news
  • Hosted the OPAF Challenge, a T.E.D. event at the Academy meeting in Chicago. An evening of fun and competition to bring together our O & P friends at Dave and Busters.
  • Presented OPAF and our programs to the 2nd Annual Amputee Conference with Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospitals of New Jersey
  • Hosted two First Swing clinics in Illinois and Florida and assisted with a third clinic in New Jersey
  • Began creating our own database of Friends of OPAF and Amputee contacts to keep in touch and increase our visibility.
  • Participated in the Pennsylvania Prosthetic Parity movement with the Amputee Coalition of America.
  • Hosted an O & P Activity Day on Sunday, October 1 as the conclusion of the AOPA meeting in Hollywood, FL. Included both a First Volley clinic and a First Swing clinic at the Westin Diplomat facilities.
  • Selected to present First Volley at the International Society of Prosthetics & Orthotics Consumer Day in Vancouver, British Columbia August, 2007
  • Hosted two Dining for Dollars events in PA/NJ/DE in conjunction with Lamberti Restaurants
  • Partnered with Chicago Cubs player, Ron Santo for OPAF's First at Third Base, the sale and distribution of the documentary, This Old Cub, which chronicles the story of Ron and his career with the Cubs and covers his second amputation and rehabilitation due to diabetes.
  • Joined with GoodSearch, a Yahoo based search engine which donates a penny to your chosen non profit organization for each and every search.
  • Received over $850 in donations in memory of or in honor of individuals associated within the industry.