ASF's 2022 Annual Report Final_Eng.

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Dearfriends& supporters

At the Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF), we believe that everyone deserves to lead an active, healthy and happy life, despite their limitations. We work hard to break down the barriers that can discourage people living with disabilities from practicing sports on a regular basis – whether it’s a lack of accessibility, equipment or accompaniment. Our role is to provide the support, guidance, teaching and adaptive equipment these individuals need to enjoy outdoor sports.

Ever since ASF created its Alpine Skiing program back in 1995, we have enjoyed a reputation for excellence and professionalism across Canada. Seven years ago, our board members decided to expand the Foundation’s reach by introducing new outdoor programs. We now proudly offer a wide range of activities, from more slower-paced sports such as stand up paddleboarding to more adrenaline-fuelled thrills such as waterskiing. Kayaking, paracycling, paranordic skiing, hiking and –most recently, para-golfing and mountain biking – are now also part of our programming.

For the last five years, we have been especially focused on offering as many activities to as many people of all ages as possible. Our efforts are paying off. In 2022, a record number of people benefitted from our wide variety of services and sports programs. For some, it was a chance to discover a new passion. For others, it was an opportunity to come back and socialize –a welcome break in the isolation.

None of what we do would be possible without the support of our 400+ dedicated volunteers. Thanks to our mobile unit, we can now travel throughout Quebec to recruit and train new volunteers, allowing us to bring our services to more locations province-wide. We are very thankful for our small army of volunteers, who brought happiness to more than 900 participants in this post-COVID year.

The Adaptive Sports Foundation is not a government-funded organization. All of our funding comes from the community and from major donors. In reading this year’s annual report, we hope you will find many good reasons to support and donate to our programs. All contributions, regardless of size, can make a real difference in the number of participants we can welcome and in the type of programs we can offer. So we invite you to give what you can this year.

Thank you for your generosity. And if you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, we have a role for you!

Boardof directors

W Brian Edwards, Chair

Emily Webster, Vice Chair

Skip Eaman, Treasurer

Thomas Boettcher

Barbara Cartmel

Steve Charbonneau

Howard Davidson

Margarita Gardiner

H John Godber

René Vachon

Ourteam

Steve Charbonneau, Executive Director

W. Brian Edwards, Chairman

Steve Charbonneau Executive Director

Audrey Laroquette Assistant Director

Geneviève Quintin Program Coordinator

Jill Glover Accounting Frederic Jean Coordinator Sports Program for Injured Soldiers

Note that the numbers shown above are as of November 1st 2022

To create and offer educational programs that encourage physically disabled children and adults to discover new abilities through winter and summer sports. The Adaptive Sports Foundation provides trained volunteers who help participants become as independent as possible in their chosen sport, thereby improving their self-confidence, self-motivation, physical strength and self-image, all while learning a lifelong sport/skill they can enjoy with family and friends.

Individuals between the ages of 5 and 70 who have a disability either by birth, disease or accident, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, amputation, or paraplegia. Twenty-five percent of ASF participants are under the age of 19. We also run a program for injured soldiers and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces as part of their rehabilitation from physical and psychological injuries.

“A few months after the accident that left me paraplegic, I was told about adaptive skiing. I had already come to terms with the idea that skiing was over for me, but when I heard about the ASF and adaptive skiing, I was quick to give it a try. My first day was in January 2022. When I arrived at the hill in Bromont, I was immediately warmly welcomed by Steve and his fantastic volunteers. I loved it right from the start and what a thrill. I went back a few more times during the winter and it allowed me to make new friends. Each time I skied with ASF, I had so much fun. I can't wait to start skiing again. Thank you ASF!”

Shawn Burnett, McMasterville

Shawn, with a young ASF participant at Bromont ski hill, discussing their shared passion for downhill skiing

Teachingadaptivealpineskiingsince1995

y g g

Our mobile unit travels Quebec to offer people living with physical disabilities an equal opportunity to try out the many outdoor activities offered by ASF and its volunteers. We also invite family members to join in the fun so that they can enjoy a special parent-child bonding activity. For the last five years, ASF has been working hand-in-hand with the Shawinigan-based Fondation Fusée to offer alpine and waterskiing activities to children under the age of 18 living in the Mauricie region. This partnership is part of our expansion plan. Thanks to our donors, we are making it possible for children with disabilities to ski and experience true freedom for a day.

Cross-countryskiing

Last winter, we had the privilege of welcoming the CNIB Foundation, a non-profit organization for people living with visual impairment. Participants were not only introduced to cross-country skiing for the first time, but were asked to volunteer and assist 2 skiers with physical disabilities as well. We called the event "Full Circle!" Seated participants helped to guide visually impaired participants using their voice. This was by far one of our favourite moments of last winter, and we hope to repeat this special event again this winter.

Province-widemobileunit

Our recent acquisition of specialized equipment to adapt kayaks has marked the beginning of an exciting new adventure filled with possibilities for ASF. Our adapted kayaks feature rear stabilizers, an adjustable seat, and angled paddle support on a pivot with adaptations for the wrists and hands, enabling people even with severe disabilities to kayak autonomously. Each new day of our kayaking program seems to bring new highs. Being able to see a person who is quadriplegic paddle for two hours on the water, laughing with friends and family, is priceless. In addition to offering one-off activities, school outings and discovery days, this year we offered paddlers four afternoon sessions over the course of several weeks so that they could gradually improve their kayaking skills. A total of 76 magical moments were offered.

The Dahü is a chair we specially designed to bring individuals with any type of physical limitation onto any type of terrain. Our Dahü program is very popular among people who would otherwise not be able to enjoy the great outdoors. When we launched this initiative eight years ago, our goal was to allow participants to take part in the Bromont Ultra, an ultra-trail event with distances for runners of all levels. We spent a few years on the chair’s R&D, and numerous organizations expressed a strong interest in purchasing one. We have since decided to sell the chair so that other organizations can take their clients for a nice walk – whether it’s on a paved sidewalk, a gravel bike path or a rugged forest trail.

Our waterskiing program offers the biggest adrenaline rush of all our programs to date. After alpine skiing, this is the second program we introduced – and it has been growing at a brisk pace ever since. Participants get to enjoy a thrilling sport but also to socialize with others onboard while waiting for their run. This program requires many volunteers for a single activity day and each role is as important as the next. Our number one priority is security. While providing a fun activity day is our goal, it will never take precedence over the safety of our participants and our volunteers.

Amuch-anticipateddestination

For the last six years, ASF has been proudly collaborating with Camp Papillon in St-Alphonse-Rodriguez. Our wonderful ASF volunteers offer Papillon campers a rare chance to try waterskiing and have fun out on the water. There’s nothing like seeing the huge smiles on the kids’ faces – and how proud they are when they realize that they have just accomplished something they had previously thought impossible. We’ve been told that the kids can’t wait to get home from camp to show their parents the photos of them waterskiing. To top it all off, this year we offered four activity days to an average of 30 participants per day. Even some of the camp monitors got a chance to waterski, either

Arenewedpartnership

Following a 15-year pause, ASF was able to return to Camp Massawippi this year to offer two waterskiing sessions per week all summer long. We are very excited about this renewed venture and are eagerly awaiting next summer’s activities.

This past summer we added adapted equestrian activities to our regular programming. Thanks to a collaboration with Equestrian Center Le Havre in Shefford, we were able to offer participants three outings. This program gives people living with disabilities a chance to spend quality time outdoors in close contact with horses. Last spring, ASF was able to purchase an adapted saddle thanks to a grant from the “Active Population Program » from the L’Association Québecoise du Loisir pour Personnes Handicapées (AQLPH). This equipment has allowed us to expand the services we offer by making horseback riding safe for participants. Early last summer, we proudly welcomed seven participants from INCA, an organization which supports people who are blind or living with partial vision.

Horsebackriding Para-cycling

The summer of 2022 also saw ASF take full reins of its para-cycling program. This past year, we acquired our own fleet of adapted bikes, which includes hand cycles, recumbent bikes, adapted tricycles and tandem bikes. An impressive 159 individuals ages 5 to 55 – including students and day campers – participated in this summer’s para-cycling program, which took place throughout the Townships as well as on Montreal’s North and South Shores. While the program targets anyone living with a physical or mental disability who is interested in trying adapted cycling, individuals with a cognitive disability seem to respond particularly well to our initiation to para-cycling activities. Some adaptive sports can be too challenging for these individuals; para-cycling is a fun activity they can enjoy and be included in during school outings.

Para-Golfing

Late this summer, we were able to purchase a ParaGolfer for those wishing to give para-golfing a try. We would like to thank Patrick Charbonneau from the firm Durabac for making this purchase possible. The ParaGolfer is being stored at the Golf Château-Bromont and will be available for use starting early next summer. An online reservation form will be available for people interested in para-golfing, as well as for volunteers who wish to accompany on for a 9- or 18-hole round.

MountainBiking

We are thrilled to offer this great new program made possible by a partnership between ASF, Les Amis des Sentiers de Bromont, and the City of Bromont. Thanks to the financial support of Kéroul, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote accessible tourism and culture for people with restricted physical ability, we were able to purchase two fully electric mountain bikes. The Adaptive Sports Foundation will be in charge of the program and participants' registrations.

Sportsprogramforveterans

Our sports program for veterans gives former military men and women the support of a peer group that understands their background and reality. This program strives to offer participants activities and opportunities to come out of isolation and socialize in small groups, but also to meet veteran volunteers and learn about their ASF success stories. The important volunteer role Canadian Armed Forces veterans play at ASF is worthy of particular mention. Veteran volunteers share their first-hand experiences of how ASF boosts their self-esteem by giving them a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Our numbers speak for themselves: For the 2022 season, veteran volunteers represented 11% of our volunteer base, but served over 20% of all ASF’s 2022 activities. Thanks to their contributions, we are able to offer activities to more participants and in turn, it gives veterans a new sense of purpose. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Amajorthankyoutoour wonderfulvolunteers

TESTIMONIALS

The Adaptive Sports Foundation relies heavily on volunteers to make outdoor sports more accessible across Quebec. It is only due to their dedication and devotion that we launched a plan for growth to offer our services throughout the province and provide people living with disabilities uniques opportunities to socialize and practice sports despite their functional limitations Our volunteers at the Adaptive Sports Foundation are a true life changers They generously donated over 4,200 man hours in 2022 Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the work that you do and the lives that you have improved this year

ASF-WestSheffordBrewery

AnnualGolfTournament

Unfortunately, heavy rain forced us to cancel our ASF-West Shefford golf tournament on September 20th. Thanks to the great generosity of our golfers and sponsors – and those who contributed through our virtual auction – we managed to raise $61,314 for our various sports programs. More than 70 people came to Edgar Hyperlodge in Bromont to enjoy an evening of great food, fun, prizes and live music. We would like to sincerely thank all our golfers and sponsors for their support, despite the cancellation. We especially want to highlight the tremendous support and commitment of Nicolas Robillard, Véronique Pagliericci Hauteclocque, and the entire staff of Edgar Hyperlodge and West Shefford Brewers. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who help making this event more and more successful each year. We look forward to seeing you next year!

3rdEditionofourInclusActive Challenge

The Adaptive Sports Foundation held its third annual INCLUSACTIVE Challenge from August 12th to 14th, in which individuals and teams had to tackle the challenge of their choice over the course of that weekend. This is a great fundraising event in which everyone can participate, whether living with a disability or not. It’s also a great way to raise awareness of the challenges people living with physical limitations face when it comes to enjoying sports without adapted equipment and accompaniment. Once again this year, the solidarity of our supporters made a huge difference. Thank you to everyone who made an incredible difference again this year by helping us raise $25,000. We would like to double this amount next year, get ready to participate!

Brigitte Trottier and Fred Jean are our top fundraisers each year for the InclusActive Challenge. Here they are standup paddling down a river in Gaspésie as part of their challenge this year.

2022 ANNUAL RECOGNITION AWARDS

The Peter and Joan Treacy Award

This award, named after the founder of ASF and his wife, recognizes one volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to ASF through their outstanding contributions to the quality of our programs and the development of our athletes.

The Robert B. Winsor Award

This award, named after a longtime ASF director and donor who passed away in 2021, recognizes one participant who has demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm and perseverance in their sport of choice, making them a true leader and source of inspiration for their peers.

The Supporting Wounded Veterans Canada Award

This award recognizes one veteran from the Canadian Armed Forces who inspires others through their extraordinary contributions and leadership as an ASF volunteer.

EricLoiselle

ChristineCouture

JulieDumais

Financials

ASF raised $731,587.40 in 2022 from our generous supporters. The bulk of these funds come from private foundations and individuals who believed in our mission and contributed to our 25th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign. Thanks to this substantial increase in donations, ASF can now look ahead and start focusing on expanding its programs across the province. Special fundraising events have also contributed greatly to our revenues this year. More than $100,000 was raised during our various events, such as our golf tournament ($61,000), our 3rd INCLUSACTIVE Challenge ($25,000), the Bromont Ultra ($15,000) and a few other events organized by third parties ($15,000)

Donations do much more than simply support our day-to-day operations. They allow us to purchase specialized equipment, fund our volunteer training sessions, and raise public awareness of the work we do. We want everyone to know that adaptive sports equipment are available for use at a low cost through ASF. Please help us continue to inspire children and adults living with physical limitations to become more active and live a happier, healthier life through sports. Thank you for making a real difference in the lives of nearly 1,000 individuals and their families each year.

Thank you for your most generous, continued, and vital support.

"I grew up in the country where walking in the woods is part of my childhood memories I became a quadriplegic at the age of 19 and today, I am the happy mother of a beautiful 2 year old princess The majority of my daughter's activities are done with her dad. ASF allowed us to have a fun mother daughter activity day together using a Dahu I never it would be possible and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart "

Jessica Picard, Quebec

IIn 2019, we launched our first major fundraising campaign to fund our expansion so that we can offer more programs to more people living with physical disabilities across the province of Quebec

In 2014, ASF welcomed an average of 50 individuals per year to its sole Alpine Skiing program Since then, we have added many programs and now offer a wide rage of options as you can see in this Annual Report. We are very proud to have offered a record number of 1200 activity sessions (participations) this past year, our 2023 objective is already been reached We are beyond thrilled and incredibly grateful for your generosity, without which none of this would be possible

Below are the cities and ski centres where ASF activities were held in 2022.

BROMONT

OWL'S HEAD ORFORD LAC BROME SHERBROOKE GRANBY FLEURIMONT MAGOG MEGANTIC AYER'S CLIIF NORTH HATLEY SUTTON

SAINT BRUNO ST JEAN SUR RICHELIEU

SHAWINIGAN TROIS RIVIÈRES

SKI LE RELAIS STONHAM MARAIS DU NORD VILLE DE QUÉBEC LAC ST JOSEPH MONT SAINTE ANNE

GASPÉ MONT SAINT PIERRE

GATINEAU

MONT BLANC

ARGENTEUIL

MONT GARCEAU

SAINT MICHEL DES SAINTS SAINT ALPHONSE RODRIGUEZ

Diamond($100,000+)

R HowardWebsterFoundation

PowerCorporationofCanada

FamilleGodinFoundation

ClaireetJean PierreLégerFoundation

Platinum($25,000-$99,999)

FondationduCentreMontérégiendeRéadaptation

DavidGoodmanYouthCommunityTrust

Mr KerriganTurner

NexcapFoundation

TheHylcanFoundation

EmilyWebster

PhilipL &JudithWebster

HowardDavidson

ClaudineandStephenBronfmanFamilyFoundation

Keith&DebbiEaman

WBrian&AnneEdwards

SylcanPropertiesInc

ThePeacockFamilyFoundation

9045 0024QuebecInc.(JacintheMajeau)

Christopher&MargaritaGardiner

Gold($5,000-$24,999)

Mr JulienLavallée

TheMacDonaldStewartFoundation

UltraGivingFundsFoundation

TheJohnDobsonFoundation

BarbaraPerryCartmel

LaraDrummondFoundation

MsJoaneandMrRenéVachon

Opérationenfantsoleil

RMRAssoc,oftheRoyalCanadianLegion,Branch#14

AlainPharand

Mr LesBuzzell

EdgarHyperlodge(9262 6597QuebecInc)

FondationDanielMoquindel'Espoir

FreedomInternationalBrokerageCompany

FondationBergeron Jetté

TheQuebecVeteransFoundation

Silver($2,500 $4,999)

RoyalCanadianLegion,BromeBranch #23

TheLawsonFoundation

Mr.RichardCauchon

BTM ConstructionsInc

Mr Jean PierreMorier

LedsonManagementInc

Bronze($1000-$2,499)

RONA INC

Mr Sebastien Fournier

Mr Jean Marchand

Patricia Oliver

Liliane Doyon

Margarita Gardiner

Royal Canadian Legion, Sutton Branch #158

The Highwater Foundation

Marie Josée Mailloux

Charles Bédard

Charles Antoine Boucher

Pierre Bourdages

Jacques Fournier

Pierre Marc Lussier

Evelyne Ménard

Eric Lefrancois

Richard Archambault

Simon Chartrand

Manuel Chicoine

Francis Gagnon

Marc André Gagnon

John Godber

Michel Groleau

Jean Francois Mallette Mrs Sally McDougall

Jean Philippe Menard Francois Plamondon Jonathan Pomerleau

Martin Proulx

Nicolas Robillard Louka Thibault

Mr François Giasson Mr Olivier Héroux

J H C Investments Inc Residences Magenta Inc

Larry Rooney

Antoine St Louis (Groupe St Louis)

The Velan Foundation Asante Communication Marketing

Supporters($250to$999)

Ms Caitlin Phillips

Simon Lauzon

Noemie Gonzalez

ParticipACTION

Eddy Zajac

Fondation Défi Everest Sara Fournier

André Thibault

Dave Williams

Ms Gabriella Levy

Andre Bienvenue

Jean Philippe Cartier

Simon Daouts

Nicolas Gauvin

Serge Lafleur

Alexandre Nadeau

Mr Dugie Ross

Mrs. Brenda Bergeron

Josée Lamalice

Luc Rocheleau

Mr Brian Mingie

Pascal Bourque

Benoit Daudelin

Gille Bélanger, Député d'Orford

Sebastien Guerard Labbe

Anthony Kalhok

Ghislaine Gauvin

Francois Gauvin

Melodie Yates

Karine Veilleux

Ms Dawna Matthew

Maxime Fortin Faubert

Patricia Séguin

Simon Chapdelaine Brigitte Trottier

Frédéric Jean Patrick Desnoyers

Daniel Isabelle

Charlie Smith Daniel Beaupré

Benoit Lamoureux

Marie Josée Roy Daniel Gauvin

Chantal Descoteaux

Nathalie Legault

Sylvain Hotte

Alexandre Gauvin

Robert Mee

Johanne Lamoureux

Mr James Beckerleg

Mrs Lucille Davis

Myriam Ducharme

Mr John Edwards

Mrs Noreen Mainguy

Vicky Messier

Pierre Olivier Adem Bégin

Nicolas Loerakker

Michèle Lefebvre Barbara et Yves Quintin

As a leader in adaptive outdoor sports, it is important for ASF to encourage its participants to reach their full potential We believe that everyone deserves equal opportunities, no matter their physical disability Again, none of what we do would be possible without our volunteers

Thank you for making a difference!

“Outings with ASF offer safe, dynamic and unique opportunities for our participants to regain a sense of achievement, motivation and belonging We also try to encourage them to socialize as much as possible ”

Steve Charbonneau

Executive Director

Wemovedtoanewaddress!

This past September, we moved to our new office to serve our participants better and increase our visibility Having our head office closer to Montreal allows us to offer more activities in Bromont such as alpine skiing, kayaking, Dahü, paranordic skiing, mountain biking, stand up paddling, para cycling and ParaGolfing We are now located next to the new multi sport facility CNCB, you can't miss it!

400Shef Brom 450 243 www.adaptivesp info@adaptivesp