Wheelchair games draw 500 military vets to Spokane

More than 500 athletes are expected to compete in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games this week in Spokane, where local buses have been specially fitted and businesses are checking their aisles for wheelchair clearance.

The competition, in its 19th year, is billed as the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world, drawing entries from 42 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain.

A wheelchair basketball demonstration pitting some of the athletes against local media representatives and community officials was on the schedule for Monday, and opening ceremonies were set for Monday evening at Veterans Memorial Arena.

The games, sponsored by Paralyzed Veterans of America and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, run through Saturday, with 17 events that include basketball, quad rugby, swimming, track and weightlifting.

"Put in the paper that it's free to the public," said Bud Bemis, a 60-year-old Vietnam War veteran who lost the use of his legs to multiple sclerosis. This will be the Loon Lake man's fourth time competing at the games.

"These are all vets," he said. "Come out and say thanks and cheer 'em on. They did it for us; let's do it for them."

The Spokane VA Medical Center has been preparing for the event for two years and has recruited 2,700 volunteers. The Washington Army National Guard is stationing greeters and escorts at Spokane International Airport, and Fairchild Air Force Base has rallied 500 volunteers.

Members of the Downtown Spokane Partnership have passed out yardsticks to help businesses determine whether their aisles were wide enough for wheelchairs. And the Spokane Transit Authority has arranged for shuttle service between hotels and event venues.

The yardstick idea surfaced when someone mentioned that a wheelchair is about 3 feet wide, visitors bureau spokeswoman Pam Scott said.

At Anthony's seafood restaurant, manager Frankie Dietz planned to open a seldom-used deck overlooking Spokane Falls because it is more wheelchair-accessible.

"If you want people to feel comfortable in the city then go back home and talk about how welcome they felt, those are the kinds of things you're going to learn and do," Scott said.

Spokane is on track to break an athlete attendance record with more than 620 registered, VA Medical Center spokesman Matthew Allen said. Attendance has hovered around 500 for the past two decades, but Allen said many of the athletes fell in love with the Northwest when the games were in Seattle in 1996.

The convention bureau has estimated the event will draw more than 1,500 out-of-town visitors who will use more than 5,800 hotel room nights.