MaineBusiness.com

Maine Handicapped Skiing (MHS), the State’s leader in adaptive recreation programming for children and adults with physical disabilities, has expanded its capacity to serve more children and working families this winter during the February school vacation week. Thanks to new sponsor Saddleback Resort and a partnership with the Pine Tree Society, more young people with disabilities will have the opportunity to ski and ride during days that are convenient for families, therapists and caregivers.

MHS’s newest alpine program host site and sponsor is Saddleback in Rangeley, Maine. The resort has provided space, lift tickets and other support to enable MHS to deliver adaptive skiing and snowboarding lessons there from Tuesday, February 16th through Friday, February 19th. As is the case with all MHS programs, participants in the Saddleback program receive lessons, lift tickets and equipment at no cost, thanks to the generosity of the resort and the time and talent of MHS’s volunteer instructors and guides.

MHS will also partner that week with another of Maine’s leaders in serving people with disabilities, Pine Tree Society, in delivering a winter overnight camp for children aged 8-18 with physical disabilities. The first annual Winter Wonderland Camp will take place Thursday, February 18th through Sunday, February 21st at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, Maine. Campers will stay in Pine Tree’s heated cabins and will enjoy arts and crafts, snowmobiling and other activities at the camp. MHS staff and volunteer instructors will provide a day of nordic skiing and snowshoeing, as well as a day of adaptive alpine skiing and snowboarding at Sugarloaf resort. The cost for this four-day program is $150 to cover all meals, lodging, staffing and activities. Most physical disabilities can be accommodated at the camp and within each activity.

“The incredible demand for our winter programs, particularly during weekends, holidays and school vacation weeks, has made scheduling kids and working families increasingly challenging over the past several years. Those times are also often more convenient for our volunteer instructors, many of whom have been eager to work with more kids. We are absolutely thrilled that the generosity of Saddleback and the creativity of Pine Tree Society will enable us to get more people skiing and riding this winter,” says Eric Topper, Maine Handicapped Skiing’s Director of Outreach.
MHS also still has limited availability in adaptive alpine programs at Sunday River and Sugarloaf resorts during various days throughout the February school vacation week, as well as in adaptive cross country programs at Pineland and the Sunday River Cross Country Center at Wilderness House.

For more information or to register for any MHS programs, please visit www.skimhs.org or contact Maine Handicapped Skiing at info@skimhs.org or (207) 824-2440. All daily lessons are free of charge for registered participants and all physical disabilities will be considered.