Burlington, VT – For those who have ever wondered what it’s like to paddle on Lake Champlain with a disability or to cycle the Burlington bike path as a guide on a tandem bike, the program leaders at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports will teach them during volunteer training Saturday, June 4, in the hopes that those people will in turn become volunteers for the organization’s diverse client base. For those who live in southern Vermont, a volunteer training session will be held in the Rutland area on Sunday, June 5. More than 50 volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of summer programming throughout the state, which begin mid-June.

“Volunteers will learn adaptive paddling techniques, assist with lessons, fit people with disabilities to bicycles, and learn to pilot a tandem bike,” said Dave D’Angelo, one of the organization’s three program coordinators. “It’s a ton of fun to get together with your winter volunteer ski buddies and make a difference in someone’s life during the summer months as well. And of course, we’re always looking for new volunteers too!”

Summer Volunteer Training will be held on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center on the Burlington Waterfront and on June 5 at Chittenden Reservoir. Experience working with people with disabilities is a plus but not necessary. Volunteers who have technical outdoor skills and the ability to work well with a variety of different people are a plus. There are countless opportunities for volunteers to lead kayaking, canoeing and biking trips as well as other summer related sports and activities. People are needed throughout the season to help maintain equipment, too.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports partners with The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center to offer adaptive sailing, Petra Cliffs for the climbing program, and Local Motion, a non-profit cycling organization in Burlington, for the biking program on the bike path. It owns a fleet of kayaks and canoes for the paddling program on Lake Champlain, Chittenden Reservoir, Waterbury Reservoir, and Stoughton Pond. All cycling, paddling and climbing programs are lead by Vermont Adaptive staff and trained volunteers.

For more information or to become a volunteer, contact D’Angelo for the Lake Champlain program at truenorth@vermontadaptive.org or Katie Stillin for southern programs at south@vermontadaptive.org. For more information about Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, visit www.vermontadaptive.org.