GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise is once again supporting Mary Free Bed through its Players with Purpose Program. This is the third year of the community-driven initiative that gives Rise supporters the opportunity to attend any remaining regular-season match at Van Andel Arena while making a direct impact on causes that matter most to their favorite Rise players.
For every ticket purchased through a player’s designated link, $5 will be donated to that player’s selected non-profit organization. The Players with Purpose Program is presented and supported by Lake Michigan Credit Union.
The 2026 initiative supports Mary Free Bed Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports (WAS), the Kent County Animal Shelter and Once Upon a Room.
Rise players Paige Briggs-Romine, Allison Mayfield, Carli Snyder and Camryn Turner all chose to support WAS, which provides enriching recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities through sports and activities.
“I wanted to support Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports because of how impactful I know sports can be in an individual’s life,” Snyder said. “I think that opportunity should be afforded to everyone, and the work Mary Free Bed is doing to make sports inclusive for all is very close to my heart.”
You can purchase tickets and support the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Program through this link.
The partnership between Mary Free Bed and the Grand Rapids Rise goes beyond Players with Purpose. In March, Paige, Allison, Carli and Camryn stepped away from the court to spend the afternoon at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. What started as a simple visit turned into a joyful, high‑energy adaptive sports experience. After touring the hospital, the athletes took time to meet with a couple of young adaptive athletes who are huge Rise fans.
Then things got even more entertaining: the players joined our pediatric patients for a game of beach volleyball in our therapy gym. To make it fair and to help players appreciate the challenges our patients work through, they wore arm casts, slings and even blindfolds. The kids loved it, and the players brought the energy, resulting in an unforgettable afternoon.
The entire Rise roster and coaching staff were also involved in the second annual Sitting Volleyball Clinic hosted by Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports in late March. The clinic, which takes place at the Mary Free Bed YMCA, gives athletes with physical disabilities the opportunity to learn and play sitting volleyball alongside Rise players and coaches.
“The visibility of it and people learning how to play this game is really important,” said Rise head coach Cathy George. “Last year was the inaugural year, and we see people now that are back and have been playing volleyball for a year, and they continue to play, and we’ve seen the successes of that. I think it’s a great experience for both our players and for the athletes.”
ABOUT MARY FREE BED WHEELCHAIR AND ADAPTIVE SPORTS
The Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Program is one of the largest adaptive sports programs in the country. Every year, Mary Free Bed provides enriching recreational opportunities to hundreds of people with disabilities – last year it totaled over 1,700 participants. Athletes of all ages and abilities participated in more than 40 different classes, clinics and teams, including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, handcycling and wheelchair softball. Visit maryfreebed.com/sports for more information.
