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National Wheelchair Basketball Association Announces Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare as Presenting Sponsor of 2023 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

By NWBA Hall of Fame Committee, 03/13/23, 5:15PM CDT

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Colorado Springs, CO (March 13, 2023) - The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Hall of Fame is pleased to announce Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare as the presenting sponsor of the Hall of Fame and the Class of 2023 Induction Ceremony. The sponsorship will enable the Hall of Fame Committee to offer an exciting experience to the Class of 2023 and their guests, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn more about Casa Colina’s rich history in adaptive sports programming.

“For decades, Casa Colina was known nationally as a household name in wheelchair sports and adaptive recreation,” said Paralympic Gold Medalist and Chairman of the NWBA Hall of Fame, David Kiley, Class of 2000. “I am so proud to have been part of that heritage, particularly in wheelchair basketball.” Throughout the 80s and 90s, led by Kiley, the Casa Colina Condors men’s wheelchair basketball team won eight national championships, cementing their legacy as one of the most dominant teams in the sport.

Casa Colina and the NWBA Hall of Fame have more than one mutual connection. The Pomona, California-based hospital provided rehabilitation and other support services for several wheelchair basketball players who went on to be inducted into the Hall, including Curtis Bell, Al Campos, Jamie Danskin, Mike Schlappi, and the late Jim Miller. Past NWBA Hall of Fame Chair and inductee, the late Frank Burns, served as the original Director of Wheelchair Sports at Casa Colina, a position eventually assumed by Kiley.

The Class of 2023 Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 in Wichita, Kansas. Four new individuals will join Kiley and the others in the Hall, including three competitors and one contributor to the sport. The evening will kick off with a red-carpet event, hosted by five-time Paralympian Matt Scott and live-streamed online. Lisa Hilborn, MA, CAPE, Director of Outdoor Adventure and Wheelchair Sports at Casa Colina, will be one of the evening’s presenters.

Before joining Casa Colina, Hilborn served as Director of Athletics and Training Site for the Lakeshore Foundation, where she oversaw youth and adult recreation programs and athletic teams, as well as team training at their U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site. As a wheelchair basketball coach, Hilborn coached multiple NWBA teams to Final Four finishes and was the recipient of the Ed Owen Coach of the Year Award in 2010.

Under Hilborn’s direction, Casa Colina is currently in the process of expanding its Outdoor Adventures program to include a broader array of wheelchair sports, in addition to its traditional offerings of adaptive recreation such as sailing, climbing skiing, and more.

“This expansion will create life-changing opportunities for those with spinal cord injury and other disabilities to acquire new skills and have access to year-round wheelchair sports, both casually and competitively,” said Hilborn. “We’re excited to share more about our plans for this program with the audience at the NWBA Hall of Fame ceremony.”

“The NWBA Hall of Fame is excited to have Casa Colina back in the game, supporting our rich history through the HOF as presenting sponsor,” said Kiley. “This is a promising collaboration, and the future is bright for both parties.”

About Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare
Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare is a nonprofit provider of specialized medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care for people with disabling conditions resulting from accidents, disease, or illness. Its continuum of care includes medical-surgical and intensive care, acute rehabilitation, residential rehabilitation, and long-term residential care. Outpatient services include orthopedic and neurologic rehabilitation, physician clinics, children’s services, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, audiology, and day treatment. Home to a research institute, adaptive sports and recreation program, and several residency programs, Casa Colina has proudly served the Southern California community and beyond for 85 years. Visit www.casacolina.org to learn more.

About the NWBA Hall of Fame
Founded in 1973 to recognize and honor the best players and contributors in wheelchair basketball as part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), the NWBA Hall of Fame’s mission is to document and preserve our history; honor the best of the game; promote our core values and vision; and celebrate excellence. Every year, the Hall of Fame Committee opens up the nomination process to the public and starts the voting process for that year’s inductees. There are two categories: Competitor and Contributor. For more information on the Hall of Fame, please visit www.nwba.org/hof.