Lakeshore Veterans Program (Alabama State Grant)

Lakeshore Veterans Program (Alabama State Grant) is sponsored by State of Alabama (funded by a grant from). Lakeshore's Veterans Program, funded by a grant from the State of Alabama, provides a free Lakeshore membership to ALL honorably discharged U.

Lakeshore Foundation serves Alabama’s veterans in special ways - This is Alabama Have an idea for a story? Women Who Shape The State Have an idea for a story?

Women Who Shape The State Lakeshore Foundation serves Alabama’s veterans in special ways By Cheryl Wray // Published On: May 20, 2026 // 7 min read // Tags: birmingham , recreation , Sponsored , veterans // Lakeshore Foundation / Paraolympians This story is presented by Lakeshore Foundation.

Birmingham’s Lakeshore Foundation impacts the lives of veterans in a myriad of ways, with its programs providing them with free membership, outstanding facilities, and a sense of community.

Jim Lawrence was a lieutenant in the Army and later worked as founder of Lawrence-Arendall-Humpries (LAH) Real Estate, Inc. Vietnam veteran Jim Lawrence, for example, didn’t expect his membership at Lakeshore to change his life in such a profound way.

After serving as a lieutenant in the Army and then retiring from his work as founder of Lawrence-Arendall-Humpries (LAH) Real Estate, Inc., he found himself focusing on his health and family. He and his wife began exercising at Lakeshore. “We knew we needed to start working out,” he says.

“A friend told us how good Lakeshore is, and my wife said we should try it. ” Today, Lawrence and his wife visit two to three times a week. She walks the track, while he rides a three-wheel bicycle.

And somewhere between the laps and workouts, they’ve found something that goes beyond fitness. “It’s just a neat place for veterans to go,” he said. “You work out, but you also bond with others.

” Opportunities for Veterans Lakeshore’s Veterans Program, funded by a grant from the State of Alabama, provides free memberships to all honorably discharged U.S. veterans living in Alabama along with their household family members. That access is intentional, according to retired Major General Lee Price, a Birmingham native and longtime Lakeshore Foundation board member.

“Veterans always have a desire to connect and to give back,” Price, who now lives and works out of San Antonio, said. “But especially in a place like Birmingham where there isn’t a large military presence, it can be harder to find that sense of belonging. ” Price, who has served on the board for about a decade, was first introduced to the program through a former Lakeshore leader whom she’d known since childhood.

The mission of the organization immediately resonated with her. This was a way to continue that connection, and “to serve those who have served. ” The veterans program at Lakeshore has grown significantly in recent years, expanding access and awareness across the state.

Yet, as Price noted, many people still don’t fully understand what Lakeshore offers for veterans. “I really think Lakeshore is kind of a secret,” she said. “People don’t realize what’s available there.

” Major General N. Lee Price at a 2020 Hall of Fame event What is available is extensive. Lakeshore’s campus includes a fieldhouse with a three-court gymnasium and a 200-meter Mondo surface track, a 6,000-square-foot fitness center, and an aquatics center with two heated pools.

There are also indoor shooting and archery ranges, along with a wide range of adaptive fitness classes and recreational sports programs. Lakeshore is known worldwide for its adaptive sports programs and teams. For Lawrence and his wife, the track and aquatic center have become staples.

“We used to walk around parking lots, church lots, school lots,” he said. “But at Lakeshore, it doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold. It’s comfortable.

” He often alternates between the track and the fitness center while his wife continues her walk. Veterans come to Lakeshore for different reasons and use the facilities in different ways. Some focus on fitness, taking advantage of strength training equipment, cardio machines, or group classes.

Others gravitate toward aquatics programs, which offer low-impact exercise in heated pools. There are also opportunities for competitive and recreational sports, from wheelchair basketball to archery. For Lawrence, that flexibility is key.

“You do what works for you,” he said. “There’s no pressure, just opportunity. ” And for veterans unsure about getting started, the process is straightforward: verify honorable discharge, complete the paperwork, and receive access.

“It’s free,” Lawrence said. “You can’t beat it. ” W.

D. Foster is another veteran who has found a special connection to Lakeshore Foundation. A retired Army National Guardsman and former Birmingham police officer, Foster was in peak physical condition when a training accident changed everything.

“I had a spinal cord injury while working with my Guard team in Selma, and then blood clots that left me paralyzed,” he said. “I went from being very active to having to completely relearn how to live. ” After initial treatment and rehabilitation elsewhere in Birmingham, he was introduced to Lakeshore.

“My wife took me there, and it just blew me away,” he said. “I love to work out, and Lakeshore gave me a place where I could do that again. ” WD Foster and his grandson What he found was not only advanced equipment and adaptive programs, but also a community of people navigating similar challenges.

He was later asked to join the Lakeshore board, where he now serves on the Finance and Compensation Committees. “You see people of all types and ages,” he said. “Children, adults, people with knee replacements, people with injuries like mine.

It’s motivating. ” Price agreed about the diversity at Lakeshore. “There is a great mixture of folks there from different economic and intellectual backgrounds.

It’s similar to what you see in the military,” she said. “It brings people together and helps them rejoice in what each other can accomplish. It’s a celebration of what each of us can do.

” Camaraderie and Connection Beyond the facilities and programs, one of the most powerful aspects of Lakeshore is the sense of camaraderie it fosters. For veterans, that bond is immediate. “Typically, we’ll wear a baseball cap that says, ‘Vietnam Veteran,’” Lawrence said.

“We can identify each other. And once you see someone a few times, there’s an understanding. ” That understanding often doesn’t require many words.

“Veterans don’t always talk about their experiences,” he said. “But when you see each other, there’s a bond. It doesn’t matter what war it was.

” Foster sees that same dynamic every day. “It creates that camaraderie,” he said. “It’s similar to what I felt in the service.

” For him, it also provides encouragement as he meets other veterans with a variety of experiences, background, and challenges. “My workout partner lives by himself and does everything independently,” Foster said. “He pushes me to do more.

You learn from each other. ” Veterans at Lakeshore Foundation That shared experience can be especially meaningful for those adjusting to life after injury. “When you go through something like that, it can be hard to talk to people who haven’t experienced it, but here, you don’t have to explain as much,” he said.

In recent years, the growth of the Veterans Program has amplified that sense of community. “At one time, it seemed like I was the only veteran there. Now, every time I go, I see veterans.

The program has just exploded. ” That growth reflects both increased awareness and the program’s impact. “There aren’t many places like Lakeshore in the country,” Foster said.

“People come here from all over the world for adaptive sports. ” Veteran practices shotput at Lakeshore Foundation For members and supporters like Price, Lawrence, and Foster, the existence of Lakeshore represents something larger than buildings or programs. It’s a place where veterans can rediscover strength, build relationships, and find a new rhythm in life after service.

“It makes life more complete,” Price said. All agree, though, that the community needs to continue to support Lakeshore and to increase involvement in its veterans programs. According to Lawrence, the appeal of those programs is quite simple: “It’s an outstanding place for veterans.

And it costs nothing. ” Getting involved in the veterans’ programs is easy; fill out a membership application, or visit first by accessing a guest pass at Lakeshore’s front desk. To learn more about Lakeshore Foundation’s programs for veterans, visit https://www.

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