Help Me Support a Great Cause - Help Disabled Skiers
This weekend the league that I race in is holding a fundraiser for the Tahoe Adaptive Ski School. This is the organization that is part of Disabled Sports USA www.dsusafw.org at Alpine Meadows. They teach hundreds of disabled people to ski every year. A large part of their budget comes from donations and fundraisers like this one.
We've all seen disabled people skiing. It is inspiring to see and reminds each of us how lucky we are. I love watching the faces of the disabled kids when they start sliding down the mountain for the first time. It is clearly one of the most liberating experiences of their lives. I've supported this organization before and it really makes me feel good doing something that is both ski related and helps people who truly appreciate and need the help.
I am soliciting sponsors for this fundraiser called "Ski For All". If you are willing to sponsor me, please either send me a check made out to DSUSA (I need to receive it by Thursday which may be tight) or you can send me the money by PayPal to edited out. Donations of any amount are welcome (seriously - $5, $20, $200, whatever). If you are going to mail me a check, please send it to Edited Out. DSUSA Far West is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency. Tax I.D. # 68-0024920. I need to receive the funds before Saturday, April 1 so Paypal is probably the most efficient method. Just mark the transaction with DSUSA, although I'm not selling anything on eBay this week so if I get funds there it will be pretty obvious what they are for.
You can also hand-deliver the check to me if you'll be at Alpine on Saturday. I'll be getting dressed at locker number 260 - in the 1st Aid locker room right behind the picnic table. Some of you know me by sight - I'm the guy who is always riding a carving snowboard with hard boots. I’ll only be at Alpine on Saturday this week.
Thanks in advance for your support.
*******************
Here's a description of the program from an article written a couple of years ago:
Tahoe Adaptive Ski School brings smiles to the slopes
Alyssa Exline, Tahoe.com
October 1, 2003
Link to Article Here
Confidence, positive attitudes and can-do spirits are as permanent on the slopes of the Tahoe Adaptive Ski School as the smiles fixed on the faces of the participants and staff.
Located at the base of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Tahoe City, Calif., the ski school is the founding chapter of the nationwide Disabled Sports USA program, which acts as a seasonal haven for people with disabilities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors.
A comfortable environment for all
The friendly atmosphere inside the school is home to over 600 participants each winter with instructors providing nearly 1,700 lessons. Comfortable couches line the walls of the waiting area inviting students to relax and have a bite to eat before it's their turn to hit the slopes. The program can provide anywhere from 20 to 40 lessons in a single day.
"Skiing is one of few activities done on an equal level with an able-bodied person," Katherine Rodriguez, vice president of Disabled Sports USA - Far West, explained while talking in the ski school's equipment room.
"Gravity is your friend," she continued. "You just go with the flow."
School accommodates different disabilities
The ski school and its staff have the equipment and training to accommodate a number of disabilities. Although about half of the participants are in sit-down equipment, the program can work with everything from spinal cord injuries and amputations to blindness and autism. Last season, the school provided lessons for students with 31 different disabilities.
Mono-skis, bi-skis and poles known as outriggers of varying styles and sizes fill one side of the equipment room while bungee cords, tubes and tethers of different lengths are stored in boxes and along the opposite wall. The retention devices make it possible to adjust and modify the equipment to accommodate the needs of each student.
In addition to the skis, snowshoes are also available for students who are not quite ready to venture down the snowy slopes, but instead need to ease into the winter environment.
Participants reap unending benefits
Participants benefit both physically and emotionally from the program with improvements in their strength, mobility and balance, as well as boosting their confidence and sense of independence.
Some participants go on to ski on their own, but the majority remain in the program.
John Arnow of Reno, finishing his second lesson in the program, described the experience as challenging, but very similar to skiing standing up. Arnow explained that he is working to become independent since the sport was his life before he was injured and he wants to be able to ski with his 11-year-old son.
Rodriguez shared her best example of the benefits of the program with the story of a 16-year-old local high school student with Down's syndrome. Before participating in the program, the student would not leave her house because she was afraid of the snow and ice. After easing into the program with snowshoes at first and eventually skis, she now goes everywhere with her ski poles and has become very comfortable with the winter environment. Rodriguez explained how the student's improved confidence has even allowed her to join to her high school glee club and participate in a number of other activities.
A personalized experience
Each lesson is a private session accompanied by both a certified instructor and a trained volunteer. Instructors are trained by the Professional Ski Instructors of America and required to meet certain standards. Volunteers attend weekend workshops before the season and are educated on what to do during a lesson.
Due to the popularity of the program, volunteers must apply early to be considered for the winter program. Those still looking to participate can volunteer for summer programs, including campouts, kayaking and family cycling trips, which are always in need of volunteers.
Due to the range of personalities that participate, students have a wide spectrum of reactions after their first experience on skis. Rodriguez explained that many students have a very "go get `em" attitude from the start, but someone that may have had many surgeries might be scared out of their wits to get on skis. The instructors and staff have been trained to work with each type of personality.
"People who take one lesson, usually go on to take one or two more," Rodriguez said.
Since most students return for second lessons or are involved with ongoing school programs, their development is documented in a progress report and shared with other instructors.
For more information about lessons check out Tahoe.com's Independence on the slopes.
A sight to be seen
The sight of the adaptive skiers on the slopes leaves other resort guests "totally blown away" according to Rodriguez.
"Stupefaction with total admiration," she continued.
The program, which continues to grow in participants every year, currently has 55 instructors and 130 volunteers.
"We are bursting at the seams," Rodriguez exclaimed.
Those interested in participating in the program can contact the school to arrange a lesson. Each participant's disability is discussed individually to determine what type of special equipment is required.
The program costs $50 per session, which includes a two and a half hour lesson, adaptive equipment and a beginner lift ticket. The school also has a scholarship program that is made available for anyone to apply.
