More than 80 athletes rode the waves at Brooks Rehabilitation’s annual event at Jacksonville Beach, giving those experiencing some physical and mental impairments a chance to surf.

“I didn’t think I’d get this far.” Those were the sentiments of Officer Malik Daricaud after he stood up and took his first steps out of rehab.

Brooks Rehabilitation offers the most comprehensive adaptive sports and recreation program in the country - providing fun, fitness and friendship for people of all ages living with various disabilities.

Dozens of surfers who are dealing with physical limitations got the chance to hit the waves Saturday in Jacksonville Beach.

A Jacksonville police officer critically injured in a shooting last month was transferred from UF Health hospital Tuesday surrounded by his colleagues.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As of Wednesday, more than 300 long-term care facilities in Florida had received the COVID-19 vaccine. Specifically, 287 nursing homes and 33 assisted living facilities have received it, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. Geneva Mitchell lives at Brooks Rehabilitation in Bartram Crossing, where on Wednesday the first dose was administered. As of Wednesday, 98% of assisted living facilities had enrolled in a federal program to get the vaccine. Ron DeSantis expects all 67 Florida counties will have the vaccine by the end of the week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The mayor of Jacksonville and hospital executives from Baptist Health, Ascension St. Vincent’s, UF Health, Mayo Clinic, Brooks Rehabilitation, and Jacksonville’s Naval Hospital held a joint news conference Thursday to encourage the public to wear face masks. Curry cited experts who encourage the use of face coverings indoors in dense public spaces where social distancing is difficult. “It not only protects me and my family, but it protects fellow citizens,” Curry said of wearing a mask. Children under 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or can’t remove a mask without help, should NOT wear a mask. There is no requirement in Florida that says people must wear a mask, but a recent New Harris Poll found more than half of Americans support mandatory face masks in some form.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The American Heart Association is pushing for healthier vending machine options in all city-owned buildings in Jacksonville. The nonprofit said the hurdle it faces is the perception sales will decrease with more healthy options. To assess the impact, the American Heart Association teamed up with Brooks Rehabilitation and the University of North Florida to conduct a study on healthy vending options and revenue. Following the study, Brooks Rehabilitation chose to add healthier options to its vending machines at several of its locations. Researchers hope the results of this study will encourage more vendors, government buildings, hospitals and universities to incorporate more healthy options in their vending machines.