Carrying Forward a Legacy of Independence & Inclusion

Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) is proud to announce the Joe Bravo “Play it Forward” Scholarship, a dedicated scholarship fund to help individuals with disabilities access the life-changing opportunities that sports can provide.

This scholarship was established in honor of Joe Bravo’s extraordinary legacy. For more than four decades, Joe Bravo dedicated his life to empowering people with disabilities to live independently, pursue their goals, and fully participate in their communities.

One of Joe’s greatest passions was adaptive sports.

Joe would say that the same ‘I can do this’ attitude he had while ‘banging chairs with people bigger and faster’ than he was on the basketball court, translated to his ‘we can do this, we can go for this’ attitude at work. Joe made a name for himself as a “playmaker”: In 1988 he was a member of the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team. His longest association was with the NY Rollin’ KNICKS – a National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Division 1 team, which is co-sponsored by the New York KNICKS, Madison Square Garden, and WILC – where Joe began as a player and in later years became a Coach. Read: Joe Bravo: A Story of a Life Well Lived

Joe believed deeply that everyone deserves the chance to discover what they’re capable of, and sports became one of the many ways he helped others do exactly that.

A Game-Changing Scholarship:

For many individuals with disabilities, participating in sports can be life-changing. Athletics are a powerful outlet for building confidence, independence, and lifelong friendships.

But opportunities often come with barriers: costs such as transportation to practices and tournaments and adaptive equipment, for example, can put participation out of reach—even when the desire and determination are there.

The Joe Bravo Scholarship was established to help provide financial assistance to youth and adults with disabilities to help offset costs associated with participating in adaptive sports and recreation.

Scholarship support may include:

• Adaptive sports equipment
• Transportation to practices, games, and tournaments
• Camp registration
• League or program fees
• Other participation-related expenses

Enter to Win a Signed NY KNICKS Jersey!

WILC is raffling off a New York Knicks jersey, signed by the 2026 NBA Champion Mitchell Robinson (#23). Your raffle entry supports the Joe Bravo Play It Forward Scholarship while giving you a chance to own a unique piece of Knicks history.

Raffle closes: August 31, 2026
Winner announced: Early September