Giving of all sorts welcome at Ski Apache Adaptive Sports (SAAS)

For some, skiing is an enjoyable recreation. Something to be passionate about as you glide down slopes covered with freshly fallen and groomed snow. For others, skiing is more than a pastime, it’s a gateway to a new world – one which can give you strength and validation.

That’s the goal of the Ski Apache Adaptive Sports program, which has allowed those with different abilities to enjoy the slopes as much – or maybe more – as anyone else since 1976.

Participants in the program are not handicapped – that’s a dirty word. They simply need a different type of instruction and different equipment in order to enjoy a day skiing. This includes attached tip braces, sit skis and outriggers, as well as compassionate instructors who give the extra time needed to compensate for different challenges. No willing student is ever turned down due to impairments or inability to pay. And that’s where the community comes in. Every instructor in the program is a volunteer, but the special equipment costs money, as do tickets for lifts.

Donations and sponsorships are always welcome, but the biggest fundraiser happens every January at the Ski Apache Adaptive Sports Benefit, taking place Jan. 30 at the Ruidoso Convention Center starting at 6 p.m.
Featuring a silent auction, the benefit is only one of many events throughout the year that raise money for this much needed program. Proceeds from the Ski Run Road Challenge, Torch Light Parade and Cross Your Heart Cup each year at Ski Apache also go to Adaptive Skiing.

Volunteers are welcome, but it takes a special type of skier to be a successful instructor.

For more information on becoming a volunteer or sponsor for Ski Apache Adaptive Sports, contact Shippen Salas at 575-464-3193 or 575-808-1441. Visit their website for more information.

-Todd Fuqua