Maine Adaptive’s Ski-A-Thon on March 24th provides an opportunity for all levels of adaptive athletes to come together. This event represents many different things to Maine Adaptive: an annual meeting, a family reunion, a closing ceremony for the winter season, or the opening ceremony for a summer of adaptive sports opportunities. More than 400 Maine Adaptive students, volunteers, and community members will gather on the slopes of their host partner, Sunday River, to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of disabled athletes of all ages who participate in Maine Adaptive’s year-round sport and recreation programming.

Desirae LeBlanc, an occupational therapy student at the University New England and a recent year-round Maine Adaptive volunteer, is eager to be a team member of Surf & Turf helping to generate support for a program that encourages individuals to get outside, do what they love, and live well. The impact of such activity is far reaching. Maymelee Bruns is one individual whom Desirae has met through Maine Adaptive. Maymelee is an adaptive athlete and proudly serves as a team captain for River Valley Skiers and has taken part in the Ski-A-Thon for more than five years. 

Now in its 33rd year, this year’s themed event, Sun Splash, will serve as a kick-off to Maine Adaptive’s summer programming while celebrating another successful winter season. The Ski-A-Thon is one of the largest single-day nonprofit events in the state of Maine and raises nearly half of Maine Adaptive’s annual operating funds, which provides equipment and programming to nearly 500 adults and children at no cost to the participant.

Spectators are encouraged to attend this day-long event. For those wishing to be inspired or who want to understand how the adaptive programs work, this event will provide you with the opportunity to feel the impact of everyone coming together to support adaptive athletes right here in our state. And, who knows, you might just be watching a future Paralympian racing down the slopes!