Burlington, VT – The Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports community will gather for a night of celebration on Friday, Sept. 10 for a fall cruise aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen III on Lake Champlain. The public is invited to attend the celebration to learn more about the passion and dedication this non-profit group and how they make sports and recreation accessible in Vermont for people with disabilities.nThe cruise sets sail at 10 p.m. from the Burlington Boathouse, located at 1 College Street in downtown Burlington, and includes two hours of sightseeing, hors d’oeuvres, music, and dancing to music by Filk, a guitar-based alternative rock band that performs “covers so obscure you’ll think they’re original,” plus a cash bar.
During the cruise, members of the Vermont Adaptive community will be on hand to educate guests about the difference that participation in sports can make in the lives of not just the participants of Vermont Adaptive programming, but also the participants’ families as well as staff and volunteers.
“My ideas about what people with disabilities can accomplish have completely changed, and as I love telling people,” said Maggie Burke, one of three program coordinators for Vermont Adaptive. “There is never a dull day in adaptive sports, from working with a child with autism who wants to do nothing more than watch the chairlift, to getting a person with limb loss back out on skis. This program truly has some magical moments, and it is amazing to be able to witness them on a daily basis.”
Upwards of 400 Vermont Adaptive volunteers serve clients from all over the world at three ski and snowboard resorts in Vermont: Pico Mountain at Killington; Sugarbush Resort in Warren; and Bolton Valley Resort in Bolton. During the summer, Vermont Adaptive partners with the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center in Burlington as well as other recreational areas throughout the state.
Tickets for the cruise cost $40 per person, which includes a one-year sustaining membership to Vermont Adaptive. Reservations are recommended. Tickets may be purchased online at www.soea.com. For more information about the cruise, visit www.vermontadaptive.org or call (802) 786-4991.