Vermont Adaptive Sports Center | MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

More than 400 volunteers serve athletes from all over the world at Vermont Adaptive’s current winter program locations including Pico Mountain, Killington; Sugarbush Resort/Mt. Ellen, Waitsfield; Bolton Valley Resort, Bolton; Saskadena Six Ski Area, Woodstock; Bromley Mountain, Peru; Stratton Mountain Resort, Stratton.

KILLINGTON, Vt.— With the merger this July of Bart Adaptive Sports into Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, Vermont Adaptive has been expanded with two key new programming hubs—Bromley Mountain and Stratton Mountain Resort—strengthening the organization’s presence in the Manchester/Stratton regions and Southern Vermont, bringing the number of Vermont mountain resorts where Vermont Adaptive has programming to seven.

With the merger, Executive Director Erin Fernandez announced the promotion of two team members and the addition of a new program coordinator to its staff. These updates reflect Vermont Adaptive’s continued commitment to expanding high-quality adaptive sports programming across the state and meeting the growing needs of communities in southern Vermont. The new staff appointments will support year-round outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities in these locations.

Allie Kaye has been promoted from program specialist to program coordinator and will oversee winter programming at Bromley Mountain, as well as summer and fall programs in the Bromley and Manchester regions. She first joined Vermont Adaptive in fall 2023 as a program specialist, after serving as a summer intern at the Pico Mountain location in 2022.

Marilee Boylan joins Vermont Adaptive as a program coordinator based at Stratton Mountain. She brings 23 years of experience advocating with and for people with disabilities. Boylan will lead winter programs at Stratton Mountain Resort and summer/fall programming in the Stratton and Manchester regions.

Jasmin Gomez has been promoted from administrative assistant and database coordinator to design and content coordinator responsible for creating and managing Vermont Adaptive’s content and visual communications across social media, digital platforms, and print. Gomez supports the organization’s brand, communications, marketing, and development strategies. She will also continue to oversee and manage the organization’s CRM database.

Vermont Adaptive was founded in 1987 and is the largest year-round adaptive sports organization in the East. In 2024, it served over 1,200 participants through 5,300 outings. Since 2017, its Veteran Ventures Program has provided more than 9,000 activities and 35+ multi-day retreats to veterans and service members. Scholarships are available to help people who cannot otherwise afford the program fee.

A nationally recognized organization, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming regardless of ability to pay. In addition to sports, year-round programming options integrate environmental, holistic wellness, and competitive training philosophies for people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical, and emotional/behavioral disabilities. Sports and recreational opportunities include alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports; kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, cycling, mountain biking, sailing, rock climbing, horseback riding, Veterans programs and retreats, and more. More than 400 volunteers serve athletes from all over the world at Vermont Adaptive’s current winter program locations including Pico Mountain, Killington; Sugarbush Resort/Mt. Ellen, Waitsfield; Bolton Valley Resort, Bolton; Saskadena Six Ski Area, Woodstock; Bromley Mountain, Peru; Stratton Mountain Resort, Stratton; and other various mountains upon request. In the summer and fall seasons, the organization provides adaptive adventures throughout Vermont including on the Burlington waterfront and bike path on Lake Champlain, Chittenden County, Waterbury/Montpelier and Mad River Valley, Rutland and Windsor Counties and points south.

For a complete map of program locations and offerings, visit vermontadaptive.org.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

Going Places @ longislandpress.com

www.longislandpress.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

X: @TravelFeatures

Threads: @news_and_photo_features

Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social

More than 400 volunteers serve Vermont Adaptive clients of all abilities with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities from all over the world in three winter programming locations in Vermont – Pico Mountain at Killington; Sugarbush Resort in Warren; and Bolton Valley Resort in Bolton. Summer programs are provided state-wide.

Vermont Adaptive Sports Center, a nationally recognized nonprofit providing year-round sports and recreational programs for people with disabilities regardless of ability to pay, has just opened a $2.5 million, 4,000-square foot center at Mount Ellen at Sugarbush Resort, in Warren Vermont.

Vermont Adaptive promotes independence and furthers equality through access and instruction to sports and recreational opportunities including alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports; kayaking, canoeing, sailing, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, tennis, horseback riding, and more. More than 400 volunteers serve clients of all abilities with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities from all over the world in three winter programming locations in Vermont – Pico Mountain at Killington; Sugarbush Resort in Warren; and Bolton Valley Resort in Bolton. Summer programs are provided state-wide.

Also, Bern Helmets, respected internationally for its proprietary street-inspired bike, snow, and action sports helmets, has partnered with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Between last year and 2022, Bern will have contributed more than 300 helmets in a variety of sizes and styles for snow and bike activities in Vermont for participants with Vermont Adaptive.

Helmets are divided between the new adaptive sports facility in Sugarbush, opening Dec. 10, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports’ traveling bike fleet and some were given directly to Vermont Adaptive participants. The traveling mountain bike fleet is used by participants all over Vermont and accesses many of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association Chapters’ trails. The traveling fleet is made up of a variety of different mountain bikes that serve those with diverse abilities. Additional helmets were gifted to participants directly to adhere to safety protocols during Winter Programming in 2021.

“Our relationship with Bern is critical to our programs,” said Jeff Alexander, director of strategic partnerships and business development for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. “Their donation of helmets enables athletes to ski, ride and bike in safety and in style. Many participants don’t own their equipment; being able to provide best- in- class equipment breaks down one of many barriers to getting outside and playing.”

“Supporting Vermont Adaptive’s mission is consistent with Bern’s DNA,” said Mickey Russell, social media manager. “We’re proud to support their year-round programming efforts in order to help people of all abilities experience the outdoors. This is just one of many ways we hope to get more people outside.”

In addition to sports, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports year round programming options integrate environmental, holistic wellness, and competitive training philosophies for people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical and emotional behavioral disabilities.

For more information, visit www.vermontadaptive.org.