Hello MWABA,

Join us for the Youth Club, Goalball, Tandem Biking, the Goalball Tournament, Camping, Hiking, and more!

Goalball

· Come to Goalball on April 11th from 10 AM to 1 PM at 1480 Girard St. NW, DC.

Tandem Rides

· Sign up by Tuesday at 8 p.m. for our Thursday night Eastern Market ride and our Friday night Bethesda ride! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/YAdsEQbKSpZABg2Y7 Our April weekend ride will be on the 25th from Bethesda, and we’ll bike to the Marsden Tract campground.

· Spread the word! Our captain training will be on April 23rd at the Eastern Market metro, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We can set up separate trainings for people who aren’t available on 4/23. Sign up if you’d like to learn to be a tandem captain or if you’re an experienced stoker or captain who’d like to help with the training: https://forms.gle/pC3v64LFvZMjAvGb9 and share the attached flyer with anyone who might be interested!

MWABA Youth Club Registration

· MWABA is excited to announce the launch of our Youth Club for 2026! Open to blind and visually impaired youth ages 6-18 from DC, MD, and VA. We will host an activity one Saturday per month from April-October. Registration fee is $15 (includes t-shirt). To sign-up and see the tentative schedule of activities, please complete the registration form linked below. https://forms.gle/wt9vgkBXC9KHL9QS8

Bike Camping Trip

· Sign up by April 15th for MWABA’s beginner-friendly bike camping trip at the Marsden Tract on the C&O Canal and Potomac River on June 12th-14th: https://forms.gle/Ejwfxno1jQCbWXoA8

· Join us on May 9th for our Tandem Bike Camping and Bike Maintenance Skillshare at the Bethesda Elementary School from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/rCWXBszmi6Y82upn6 Feel free to join even if you aren’t coming on our bike camping trip.

Capital Cherry Blossom Goalball Classic

· MWABA is so excited to be hosting The Capital Cherry Blossom Goalball Classic! This 2-gym tournament will be held Friday, April 17th through Sunday, April 19 at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA. Men’s and women’s teams from up and down the Eastern Seaboard will compete in this high-paced, aggressive team sport we all love. Sign up here: Volunteer Registration for The Capital Cherry Blossom Goalball Classic

to volunteer, or plan to come support DC as a spectator. MWABA t-shirts will also be available for purchase at the tournament.

Hike on April 26th

· Master naturalist Meg Hathaway is leading our next MWABA hike at Roosevelt Island on April 26th. We’ll meet at the Rosslyn metro stop at 10 a.m. and the hike will be about 3 miles (including the walk to Roosevelt Island. Please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfvU-TE8oIM4qYhcPXX9G5vX-XduoAA5ehiUFBjPj3OD0Hkg/viewform

Blind Bird-A-Thon

· We’re returning to Brookside Gardens with the DC Bird Alliance to participate in Birdability’s second annual Blind Bird-a-Thon on May 3rd at 9 a.m.

Spring Social on May 16th

· MWABA’s spring social will be on May 16th, from 3-7 PM in D.C.

New MWABA T-shirts are here!

· Would you like some MWABA swag to show your membership and support for our organization? Would you like a really fun new t-shirt? If so, we have it! MWABA t-shirts are now available for just $15. They are charcoal grey with white graphics. On the front is a line sketch of cherry blossoms with MWABA superimposed in bold lettering. On the back, it says Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes across the shoulders. Below are six icons of sports we offer. They are hiking, goalball, tandem cycling, yoga, camping, and tandem kayaking. Under each icon is the correlating Braille word. Sizes are unisex, and range from Small to XXL. To purchase a shirt, please email Amanda at amandaaswell or call/text her at 910 574-8524. They will also be available at various activities throughout the spring.

Thanks and see you out there!

Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA)

Sports and fun for everyone! https://gomwaba.org