EDITOR’S NOTE — Veteran Voices is an annual week-long series introducing WYDaily readers to some of our local veterans. Each story represents a different person in the Historic Triangle communities and shares their stories of service.
HAMPTON ROADS — The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, has been going strong for over 75 years.
Founded in 1947 by a group of World War II veterans who returned home with spinal cord injuries, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter has spent more than seven decades serving as a lifeline for veterans across Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. These founding members, determined to regain their independence and advocate for their rights, helped establish one of the original six chapters of the national Paralyzed Veterans of America organization.
Headquartered in North Chesterfield, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter continues to uphold its mission of empowering veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases to live full, productive lives. Through a combination of benefits assistance, adaptive sports, education and accessibility initiatives, the organization ensures that veterans and their families receive the resources and opportunities they deserve.
Ivan Schwartz, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, recently sat down with WYDaily to discuss some of the more prominent programs that PVA Mid-Atlantic offers its members.
“We are the second largest chapter in the country with 850 members,” Schwartz explained.
To become a member, veterans must have suffered a spinal cord injury or disease, have Multiple Sclerosis or ALS.
The group is big on creating engagement opportunities for its members across Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. From sports and competitive opportunities to the chance to give back to other veterans, the chapter is active in many ways.
“We just want to get our people active, engaged, moving, doing things that they feel comfortable doing. Many of them don’t think that they can be comfortable doing these things until they try it. Just by providing that encouragement to try, it turns out to be a blessing in many cases,” Schwartz said.
The organization also helps to provide information and connections to veterans who may need ADA updates to their home or vehicle.
One of the more prominent projects that PVA Mid-Atlantic helped facilitate this year was Rolling with Randall. Randall Pope, a paralyzed Army veteran from Virginia, decided to roll in his wheelchair across the commonwealth to the Pentagon to raise awareness for Multiple Sclerosis and PVA Mid-Atlantic. Along the way, Pope made a stop in Williamsburg at Zable Stadium on the campus of William & Mary.
Upon arrival at the Pentagon, Pope met a Navy Captain and, in a poignant moment, decided he needed to stand to salute the officer. As everyone on Randall’s journey stood by his side, he indeed stood and saluted the captain while bystanders watched with tears in their eyes.
“I was standing right there when it happened. I just remember him saying that when there is an officer in his presence, he must stand and salute them. When he stood, I cried. That’s really how emotional it all was,” Schwartz said.
Due to support from PVA Mid-Atlantic, Pope has now decided to make his ride an annual thing, and in 2026 he will be rolling across the state of North Carolina to once again spread awareness about MS.
In 2024, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter won the John M. Price Award for being the Most Outstanding Chapter.
“Sometimes in the day-to-day, you are doing so much that you don’t get a chance to think about it all. It was amazing to reflect on those things that we’ve done. We designed our presentation as a cookbook and in a way showed that we had all the ingredients to make our chapter stand out,” Schwartz said.
To donate or to learn more about the organization, visit pvamidatlantic.org.