NEWRY — Twenty-five disabled veterans and active-duty military persons and their families will participate in the seventh annual Veterans/No Boundaries program this weekend at Sunday River Ski Resort.

It will be held by Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation (formerly Maine Handicapped Skiing).

Additionally, Maine Adaptive will debut a new program for blind and visually impaired people Sunday, Feb. 12, through Thursday, Feb. 16, at Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Carrabassett Valley.

Veterans/No Boundaries will be held Friday, Feb. 3, through Monday, Feb. 6.

“As has been the case the last few years, we have a group of active-duty wounded warriors — including a Medal of Honor nominee — traveling on orders from Fort Drum, N.Y., to participate,” Eric M. Topper, Maine Adaptive outreach director, said Monday morning by email.

“We are really proud of this program and of our recent successes in recruiting younger vets of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Topper said nearly half of this year's attendees were injured in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Maine Adaptive also has a new national transportation sponsor in Hope For The Warriors. It will be flying in several combat-wounded veterans of the Iraq war, he said.

Maine Adaptive's New England Blind/VI Ski Festival at Sugarloaf next month is a new program that a group of Maine Adaptive volunteers organized.

“We expect nearly 30 blind and visually impaired guests, many of whom will be traveling to Sugarloaf from throughout the country to learn to ski with us,” Topper said.

The program keys on a single disability and its position as a multi-day “ski camp,” he said.

“We are also excited about partnering with Sugarloaf to market the resort as a destination for people with disabilities, and to bring in revenue associated with lodging, etc., for this unique program,” Topper said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com