‘Godsend:’ Atlantic Beach gets oceanside wheelchairs through $195K grant

Adam Benson
·2 min read

ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A Grand Strand community is the latest to offer beachgoers wheelchairs, thanks to a local nonprofit that’s working to make the ocean accessible to all.

North Myrtle Beach-based Adaptive Surf Project recently secured a $195,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilson Foundation to make 10 Atlantic Beach access points available for people with disabilities by adding special mats and wheelchairs.

“It’s a godsend, and I think it’s a blessing to be able to have it here for people to utilize it,” city councilman John David said.
On Saturday, crews were at the beach laying down the mats.

The Adaptive Surf Project operates locations across the Carolinas including in Garden City, Horry County, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina.

“I will see people come on the beach specifically because it’s there. There’s a gentleman in North Myrtle at Cherry Grove that will get in his power chair, roll to the end of the mat and just lounge in the sun,” Adaptive Surf Project director Luke Sharp said. “If that mat wasn’t here, he would be home or something else, but now he has access to the beach.”

David said he’s seen firsthand how beneficial the donations can be.

“My mom had the ability to use one of these wheelchairs, so I have firsthand experience of, ‘what a wonderful gift it is to be able to get back and forth to the beach,'” he said.

Sharp said the group’s goal is simple.

“We’re just trying to help people with disabilities go to the beach, and when a community comes together to make this happen, it’s hard to put into words how good it feels,” he said.

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. You can also read more of her work here.

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