2 minute read
Local Giving
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
By Kathleen O’Conner
In his early 20s, Dave Spencer lost a leg due to cancer. But he was determined to continue an activity he loved: skiing.
Eventually the sport led Spencer to Purgatory Ski Resort, where he taught others with disabilities how to ski. More important, Spencer taught them how to reimagine what was possible.
In 1983, with the help of friends, Spencer founded the Adaptive Sports Association (ASA), which has evolved to offer various outdoor-focused programs throughout the winter and summer seasons for participants of all ages with physical or cognitive challenges.
With snow days fast approaching, ASA is currently gearing up for its winter programs, which provide adaptive skiing, snowboarding, and “sit-ski” opportunities for both adults and children.
ASA’s “Learn to Ski Scholarship Program” brings first-time, adaptive skiers, and snowboarders from around the country to Durango for a week of instruction and fun on the Purgatory slopes.
ASA Executive Director Ann Marie Beresford describes how transformative these days are for participants. “We sometimes pick up some pretty nervous people from the airport on Monday, and they ski with us Tuesday through Friday. As the week goes on, you see their confidence increasing as they do things they didn’t think were possible,” she says. “Most times, by the end of the week, we are dropping off a different person than the one we picked up at the beginning of the week.”
Additionally, ASA offers summer adventures during the warmer months, such as canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting trips on the San Juan River, and a cycling program.
As Beresford explains, these outdoor activities are just the carrot. “We have great tools in our programs to get people active outside; but really, it’s about building independence and increasing our participants’ self-confidence,” she says.
As a nonprofit organization that ensures scholarship funding for 75 to 80 percent of its participants, ASA’s staff and volunteers are dedicated to providing services regardless of an individual’s financial situation. “We just ask people to pay what they can and then we go out and raise the rest of it,” says Beresford.
Thus, ASA hosts many fundraising opportunities during the year, including the ever-popular “Dave Spencer Ski Classic,” an all-community, inclusive event consisting of teams parading in costumes and competing in a lighthearted race at Purgatory. Though the event looked a little different in 2021 due to Covid, Beresford hopes to bring the community together again in February 2022. “I think we’ve all realized how important it is to stay connected to the people around us.”
For more information on programs offered and volunteer opportunities, visit asa.org.
– Dave Spencer
Photos courtesy of Adaptive Sports Association
