Track chairs donated to area shooting range for our Exceptional Warriors
Specialized track chairs designed to enable people with mobility challenges to participate in the outdoors were donated this month to Parma Woods Shooting Range in Platte County.
Nathan Woodland, range manager at Parma Woods, said they received three of the chairs for a total of four being housed in the area. The track chairs will be available free to use by the Missouri Department of Conservation for events sponsored by partner groups or agencies that are hosting public events.
He said the chairs will complement the Missouri Accessible Outdoors program coordinated by the conservation department and will bring the total number in the state to 14. The units can be transported and used for events across the state where needed.
The conservation department has a request process where groups can apply for the use of the chairs that requires a 30 day notice.
The customized track chairs were built by Action TrackChair for hunting and fishing and are versatile over uneven terrain and can move through shallow water. One of the new chairs they acquired this month is a standing unit that allows the user to go from a sitting — to a standing position — for activities that are easier to do while upright.
The first chair that was purchased last year has been used for deer hunts, turkey hunts, duck hunts, trail hikes and fishing programs.
“We use them for quite a few different types of events and are able to put people in the field that might not otherwise be able to get into the field.,” Woodland said. “The chairs are able to take people into areas that are difficult to get to otherwise.”
Woodland said the units at Parma Woods have been made possible by local donors who raised money for primary use in the area but they can be scheduled anywhere in the state that needs it.