From the Ski for Light Bulletin - Spring 2007
Snow? What snow? SFL Event chair, Judy Dixon, and her team faced a real challenge this year – creating a week of skiing out of nothing – well, almost! As always, what made it all work was the incredible, unstoppable SFL spirit. SFL guide, John Slade, sums it up well in this excerpt from an article he wrote for the Norway Times:
"Ski for Light met this year in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where once upon a time there was snow. The determined folks of Ski for Light had to break their contract with one ski area, which did not have enough snow, then valiantly found another area which boasted an inch or two of snow on a golf course. That meager snow was covered with a crust of ice, for it had thawed and then frozen. But anything on the grass is better than nothing, so Ski for Light shook its fist against global warming and proceeded to host a magnificent week of skiing. From January 21 to 27, roughly two hundred folks bundled up and maintained their high spirits." Meanwhile …
"Twenty-eight guide dogs had their own convention, especially when they gathered in clusters beneath the big round banquet tables at the hotel and thumped people's knees with their exuberant tails.
The temperature averaged a few degrees above zero, with a bit of a breeze across the golf course. The blind skiers had the advantage, because they could pull their knit hats right down to their chins.
About sixteen Norwegians, some guides, some skiers, livened up Friday evening with Norway Night. The culmination was a rousing snake dance of wheelchairs and people following people with a hand on a shoulder, winding among the banquet tables while John Denver sang, "Take me home, country road." Anyone who has not participated in a Ski for Light snake dance has not really lived."
There was a little something for everyone: good old-fashioned storytelling, special interest sessions covering a wide variety of topics, the talent show, and some really great shopping! Rumor has it that a few people had to buy an extra suitcase just to carry home the extra loot they bought. And speaking of loot, this year's Silent Auction did very well for SFL, even with all the shopping options. The week culminated, this year, not in the usual race/rally, but in a rousing poker game. Again, everyone at Ski for Light found a way to make the most out of a less-than-ideal situation, making it, according to many, one of the best years ever.
First-time skier, Sila Miller says she's hooked. "How I wish I'd have done this about ten years ago. I'll tell you the truth, I went toe to toe with my fear, screaming down those hills but in the end, I'm proud to report, I conquered it!"
Miller offers this little poem as a reflection of her experience:
Friendly banter, liquid enhancer and skiing hard all the day long,
Singing and laughing, eating and smiling,
Working hard, getting healthy and strong.
Making Snow Angels, skating on the ice, and playing without a care,
Trudging around in snow shoes, relaxing in the hot tub, dancing in my underwear!
Snow on my face, learning new things, flying down a challenging hill,
Building up speed and endurance, feeling new-found confidence and that swell of pride and thrill.
Being a carefree kid for a little while, letting go of some inhibitions and fears,
So grateful to have that precious time of much laughter and at the end, a few tears.
What happy memories I have and neat folks I met,
Words can’t tell the story completely of this trip, I’ll never forget.
Thanks again to everyone who made this Event such a success.
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