Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (Holiday Valley) & Phoenix Adaptive (HoliMont)
By Brooke Szpaicher
Some may know and some may not, but both of our resorts located right here in Ellicottville cater to all ages who wish to ski with adaptive ski programs. Both resort’s programs work with instructors and volunteers who are trained to instruct and guide individuals with various disabilities, both physical and cognitive.
The Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) runs at Holiday Valley and is an all-volunteer program that offers lessons to persons with virtually all disabilities, both physical and cognitive. The LASP motto is de-EMPHASIZE the dis-ABILITY. If someone wants to ski, the enthusiastic Lounsbury instructors will find a way to get them out on the slopes. The focus is always on what a student can do, not on what they can’t. A single lesson usually involves two instructors and sometimes three depending on the severity of the student’s disability and the type of adaptive ski equipment required. Results vary, but many students become skiers and virtually all of them experience a sense of achievement, excitement and freedom that helps them to gain new confidence to tackle other activities. Most of the students who participate in LASP require specially designed adaptive equipment which is very expensive. The proceeds from Penguin Paddle help to purchase and maintain this equipment and to fund ongoing adaptive training programs for the 50 volunteer instructors.
This year’s Penguin Paddle took place the last weekend of February where individuals registered to slide down the bottom half of Yodeler on their bellies just like a penguin! Every February hundreds of Penguin Paddlers, of all ages, flock to Holiday Valley for the Penguin Paddle Races.
The Phoenix Adaptive Ski Program at HoliMont uses both volunteers and trained PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) instructors, learning the most about the available adaptive equipment. The Phoenix program services primarily members, families with disabled adults/kids to try out for two days on weekends. This program focuses on individually prepared programs that suit the needs of each adaptive student, with yearly in-house training by PSIA Adaptive examiners to make sure all instructors are up to date on all the latest instructional materials and methods of teaching. Their goal is to provide a safe, fun, and happy experience for all students of all ages! On Sundays, HoliMont offers what is know as the Outreach Program, officially known as Dick Freeman/Men’s Day Group at HoliMont.
The one and only event used to annual fundraise for this program is HoliMont’s Men’s Day. After speaking with Dave Berghash, this year’s Men’s Day surpassed their 2022 goal of $15,000 when $16,500 was raised. The day is combined of a live auction which raised $15,000 and a silent auction (the winner donated the money back to Phoenix) for a grand total of $16,650 this year! Berghash noted how incredible this accomplishment was, “We get as much out of it as families, it is so VERY rewarding!”
Check out both program’s websites and how you can contribute or volunteer!
https://skilasp1.wixsite.com/lounsburyadaptive and https://holimont.com/programs/phoenix-adaptive/ .