River Valley Special Recreation Association

What River Valley Special Recreation Association does

River Valley Special Recreation Association (RVSRA) is a nonprofit special recreation association founded in 1988 and headquartered at 1335 E Broadway St in Bradley, Illinois. It provides community-based therapeutic recreation to children, teens, and adults with disabilities and special needs across the Kankakee County area. The organization operates as a cooperative entity established through a partnership of three member park districts — Bourbonnais Township Park District, Kankakee Valley Park District, and Limestone Township Park District — under a special levy passed by the Illinois General Assembly.

The core service offering includes Programs for All, an Adult Day Program, a Summer Day Camp, Athletics (including Special Olympics-style programming such as volleyball), and a Scholarships program for financial assistance. Inclusion Services are provided as an overlay capability, supplying adaptive equipment, activity modifications, interpreters, and personalized support plans to enable participants to engage in any recreation program offered through member agencies. Intake assessments are completed within one week, with modifications typically coordinated within two weeks.

RVSRA generates revenue through three streams: program registration fees, recurring contributions from its three member districts pursuant to the Illinois special levy, and monetary donations from individuals and organizations (preset tiers of $10, $25, $50, $100, or custom amounts) channeled through its affiliated River Valley Special Rec Foundation (RVSRF). Programs are registered online via the ultracamp.com platform or directly through member agency registration forms. Marketing is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, an email newsletter via myflodesk.com, downloadable program guides, and community/word-of-mouth referrals. The organization employs 1-10 staff and has been in continuous operation for over 35 years.

Name

River Valley Special Recreation Association

Legal name

River Valley Special Recreation Association

Website

https://rivervalleysra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

River Valley Special Recreation Association is a nonprofit cooperative founded in 1988 that delivers community-based therapeutic recreation programs to children, teens, and adults with disabilities and special needs across Kankakee County, Illinois, in partnership with three member park districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Recreation Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

Keywords

• Therapeutic recreation services
• Special needs programs
• Inclusive community recreation
• Adaptive recreation services
• Special recreation association

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Fees charged for participation in recreational programs including Adult Day Program, Summer Day Camp, Athletics, and other therapeutic recreation activities
2. Member District Funding: Funding contributions from member districts (Bourbonnais Township Park District, Kankakee Valley Park District, and Limestone Township Park District) supported by a special levy passed by the Illinois General Assembly
3. Donations: Monetary donations from individuals and organizations supporting inclusive recreation. Preset amounts of $10, $25, $50, $100 or custom gift amounts accepted online or by mail

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

River Valley Special Recreation Association provides community-based therapeutic recreation services for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and special needs in the Kankakee County, Illinois area. Core offerings include inclusive programs such as Adult Day Program, Summer Day Camp, Athletics (including Special Olympics), general Programs for All, Scholarships, and Inclusion Services with adaptive equipment, activity modifications, and personalized support plans.

Product overview

River Valley Special Recreation Association offers a unified suite of therapeutic recreation services for people with disabilities and special needs. The core offering includes Programs for All, Adult Day Program, Summer Day Camp, Athletics, and Scholarships, supported by Inclusion Services that provide adaptive equipment, activity modifications, and personalized support plans. The organization operates as a cooperative association of member districts (Bourbonnais Township Park District, Kankakee Valley Park District, and Limestone Township Park District) and was founded in 1988.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• River Valley Special Rec Foundation (RVSRF): The foundation arm of River Valley Special Rec that supports fundraising and donor engagement for inclusive recreation programs.

Products and services

• Programs for All General inclusive recreation programs for children, teens, and adults with special needs, providing opportunities for personal development, social engagement, and community participation throughout the year.
• Adult Day Program Structured daytime programming for adults with special needs, offering recreation, leisure, and life skill activities on an ongoing basis.
• Summer Day Camp Seasonal day camp program providing fun, inclusive activities for participants during summer months.
• Athletics Athletic programming including Special Olympics and other sports activities such as volleyball for participants with special needs.
• Scholarships Financial assistance program to help participants access recreation services regardless of financial circumstances.
• Inclusion Services Support services enabling people of all abilities to participate in recreational programs offered through member park districts, including adaptive equipment, activity modifications, interpreters, and personalized support plans, with intake assessment within 1 week and modifications coordinated within 2 weeks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Intake assessment completed within 1 week; coordinating modifications usually within 2 weeks

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bourbonnais Township Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding member districts that contribute funding to support programs. River Valley Special Rec was founded through partnership with this district along with Limestone and Kankakee Valley Park Districts.
• Kankakee Valley Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding member districts providing cooperative funding for special recreation services. Each district contributes funding to support inclusive programs.
• Limestone Township Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding member districts that formed the special recreation association in 1988. Contributes funding to support programs promoting joy, growth, and community.
• Illinois General AssemblycoreOthersPassed the special levy providing the legal foundation for special recreation services in Illinois. This regulatory framework enables the cooperative approach between member districts.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability and special-needs services including recreation, therapy, and inclusion programs. Broader scope than RVSRA but operates overlapping disability-recreation and inclusion services across multiple states, making it a comparable incumbent in the broader disability-services space.

Direct peers

• South Suburban Special Recreation Association (SSSRA): Illinois SRA serving Chicago's south suburbs under the same special-recreation cooperative structure. Provides directly comparable therapeutic recreation, inclusion services, and Special Olympics programming to RVSRA through multiple member park districts.
• Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA): Northwest suburban Chicago SRA delivering year-round inclusive recreation to individuals with disabilities via member-park-district partnerships. Directly comparable cooperative funding model, Illinois special-levy foundation, and program mix to RVSRA.
• Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA): Illinois-based SRA serving western DuPage County through multiple member park districts. Shares RVSRA's cooperative structure, Illinois-state funding framework, and inclusive-recreation mission for individuals with disabilities — directly comparable in model and scope.
• Lincolnway Special Recreation Association: Illinois SRA serving the Lincolnway area south of Chicago with therapeutic recreation and inclusion services. Shares RVSRA's member-district cooperative structure, Illinois special-levy funding model, and inclusive-recreation mission.
• North Shore Special Recreation Association (NSSRA): One of Illinois's largest Special Recreation Associations serving communities in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Operates under the same Illinois state special-levy framework as RVSRA, providing inclusive recreation programs to individuals with disabilities through a multi-park-district cooperative model — directly comparable funding structure, mission, and service delivery.
• Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (FVSRA): Illinois SRA serving the Fox Valley region west of Chicago under the same Illinois statutory cooperative framework. Directly comparable to RVSRA in mission, member-district model, and program offerings for individuals with disabilities.
• Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County (SRACLC): Lake County, Illinois SRA operating inclusive recreation programs under the same Illinois statutory framework as RVSRA. Closely comparable in mission, member-district cooperative model, and program offerings for individuals with disabilities.

Emerging players

• Special Olympics Illinois: Illinois affiliate of Special Olympics offering athletic training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Comparable to RVSRA's Athletics program line, but operates as a programmatic offering across the entire state rather than as a single local recreation association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RVSRA
• Instagraminstagram.com/rivervalley_sra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/river-valley-special

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about River Valley Special Recreation Association