Membership Eligibility
Membership is free and open to qualified individuals. PVA's President invites you to join our more than 19,000 members today and have your voice, energy and efforts assist others living with SCI/D.
Who is Eligible to Join PVA?
Any individual who meets the following criteria is eligible to join PVA:
- A citizen of the United States
- A veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces whose discharge was other than dishonorable
- An individual who has suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of trauma or disease.* (Note: The injury or disease onset could have occurred after discharge/retirement from military service.)
* Some examples of spinal cord diseases are:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Lupus
- Tuberculosis
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Poliomyelitis
- Spina bifida
- Spinal stenosis
- Tumors of the spinal cord
If you meet the criteria and wish to become a member of PVA or MAPVA, contact the Chapter Office or National PVA. The above list is not all-inclusive. Therefore, if your condition is not listed, or if you have any questions, contact PVA or MAPVA membership staff.
Loretta Moon, MAPVA Membership Officer
Scholarships are available now for PVA and MAPVA Members (see links below)MAPVA Health Science Scholarship
Participation Grant
These stipends are available for recently spinal cord injured Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation was established in 2002 and has supported innovative research and rehabilitation programs for people living with spinal cord injuries throughout the United States.
If interested, please fill out this application. You can fax or e-mail it to the attention of Mary Hobbs at 202-416-7639 (fax) or e-mail Maryh@pva.org. If you have any questions regarding this grant, please contact Mary at 202-416-7752 or via e-mail.
By Regina Presley, Senior Secretary
Oklahoma City, NSO
We kicked off PAW this year with a visit from our Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Arena Football team and a
few of the Dancers. We spent the day visiting the hospitalized veterans and giving some needed relief to both patients
and staff. The players and dancers talked to many of our veterans and passed out pennants and autographs. We set up our
Paw booth up on the ground floor just east of the information booth on Wednesday, April 14 and passed out goodies and
refreshments and were able to meet and greet many and make them aware of PVA and its mission.
To end our PAW week we attended the Oklahoma
City Yard Dawgz Season Opening Game at the Cox Convention Center on Saturday, April 17. We were able to set up a PVA
information booth at the arena. The Yard Dawgz was kind enough to donate 40 tickets for our veterans, member and their
families. Again as in previous years we were able to bring more awareness and insight as to what we and the PVA can do
to assist our veterans in having the best quality of life possible.
OKLAHOMA CITY- Recently, several Yard Dawgz players and members of the Yard Dawgz Dance Team spent time visiting with
the veterans at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Every year the Yard Dawgz take time to
"It's always good to come and show our appreciation for our veterans because we wouldn't have the freedoms we do without them. I like to put a smile on their faces and let them know they are appreciated," said Yard Dawgz player Freddie Rollins.
During their visit, the Yard Dawgz spent time talking with veteran's during all stages of recovery.
"I enjoy every year having the Yard Dawgz come out to put smiles on the faces of our veterans," said Loretta Moon, Paralyzed Veterans of America.
The Oklahoma City VA Medical Center's mission is "to fulfill President Lincoln's promise 'to care for him who shall be borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's veterans. Compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and stewardship are the values the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center prides themselves on.
The Yard Dawgz will return home on May 8, to host the Bossier Shreveport BattleWings. Single game tickets are on sale, starting at only $10! The Yard Dawgz Block
Party will begin at 5 p.m. on Reno and kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.