If there is one thing that 2020 taught us, it is that here at Vermont Adaptive we need our new, full adaptive sports facility at Mt. Ellen now more than ever.
So, Vermont Adaptive and Sugarbush are having an End of Year Celebration at Mt. Ellen on Sunday, March 28 all day to kick off the final phase of the new facility project, breaking ground this spring. Join us for a fun, socially-distanced end of season celebration to benefit our NEW Adaptive Sports Center at Mt. Ellen.
DJ Dave will be on the deck of the Green Mountain Lounge and you can come visit the Vermont Adaptive retail shop pop up tent. We’ll have loads of free giveaways, prizes and cool swag. Proceeds from the day will benefit the new building. Thanks to great sponsors including Cabot Cheese, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Zeal Optics, Kinco Gloves, Teton Gravity Research, Ski Vermont, and many more, it should be a pretty great time. Come learn about the new building and enjoy the end of the season.
Vermont Adaptive is grateful for the borrowed space from Sugarbush for our program needs in the Mt. Ellen base lodge, however we are bursting at the seams in our existing 400 sq. ft. space, and the Coronavirus has created more restrictions on our already limited space. The new year-round facility will improve the quality and experience of our programs and events for all of our participants and families, veterans, volunteers, staff, guests and community, making the Greater Mad River Valley a more inclusive travel destination. This investment in the community ensures that every BODY can play year-round in the spectacular Green Mountains of Vermont.
Imagine nearly 500 athletes being served out of just 400 sq. ft. of space! Athletes in the MRV community include people from Zeno Mountain Farm, Granite Academy Program, Spaulding High School ACT Program, Addison Northwest School District, Warren School District, East Valley Academy, Randolph, Special Olympics of Vermont, High Fives Foundation, Sierra Club Veterans, Veteran Ventures, Rochester School Group, Kelly Brush Foundation, Sugarbush Ski School – Junior Volunteer Program Training plus hundreds of athletes and participants who travel to Vermont with their friends and family to ski, snowboard, hike, mountain bike and more.
“Our current space is not very wheelchair accessible and it involves stairs to get upstairs or downstairs [in the current base lodge],” says Emily Cioffi, athlete, volunteer instructor and board member at Vermont Adaptive. “The building will give me a lot more space to wheel around and get in and out of my gear and for all the other athletes to have for room to maneuver, get around. There will be quiet space to have time to get ready to go out on the hill. It really just strengthens the community and gives us a chance to bring in a lot more people to Vermont Adaptive.”
Now imagine how many more people will be able to recreate in this new 4,000 sq. ft. facility. Take a look at our latest video detailing what you can expect.
Vermont Adaptive’s Second Flagship, four-season adaptive sports facility in Vermont will include:
- Access for All Elevator for three floors at Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush.
- Year-round storage for expensive state-of-the-art adaptive equipment.
- Bag and gear storage space for staff, volunteers and guests.
- Connecting pathways to existing and new spaces – connection to Sugarbush’s main base lodge level for food, the fireplace, seating, and retail.
- Accessible entryways and exists for getting ready for and hitting the slopes.
- Dedicated space for program check-in, accessible restrooms, program space, personal storage and changing space, volunteer break room, educational lending library, and more.
- Specially-designed soundproof sensory room for those who need a comfortable retreat away from noise and overstimulation.
- Multi-purpose space for classroom activities, retreats, yoga workshops, wellness camps, and other holistic activities.
- Space to work on equipment with a mechanical equipment closet included.
Come be a part of the adventure! We must raise the last $500,000 for this building by September to reach our goal. Please donate today. To learn more and donate, visit www.vermontadaptive.org/sugarbushfacility/.