Ski for Light

Ski for Light, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit, organization founded in 1975. The mission of the organization is to teach blind, visually- and mobility-impaired adults the sport of classic cross-country skiing, to give participants who have already mastered the basics the chance to improve their skills and endurance, and to enable participants to just have fun on the snow. Each year Ski for Light, Inc. conducts a week-long event that attracts upwards of 250 participants and guides. The location of the event changes from year to year in an effort to spread the Ski for Light philosophy and idea to as many parts of the country as possible. www.facebook.com/SkiforLight During the Ski for Light week each disabled skier is paired for the entire week with an experienced, sighted, able-bodied cross-country skier who acts as ski instructor and guide. The disabled person skis in tracks or grooves in the snow, while the guide skis in a parallel set of tracks. The guide informs the skier about upcoming changes in the terrain and trail, offers instructional tips and suggestions, support as necessary, encouragement, and describes the countryside. The visually- and mobility-impaired adults who attend each Ski for Light week come from all over the U.S. and from several foreign countries. Many of them come to Ski for Light with a desire to become more physically active and fit, and to find recreational opportunities that are lacking at home. Most of these skiers discover, in the process of learning how to cross- country ski, that they can accomplish much more than others have told them, and much more than they themselves believed. Call or access web site or upcoming events. Recreation Guide, PP