SFL Bulletin Fall, 2001 Ski for Light, Inc. 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408-2648 Phone: 612-827-3232 Web Site: www.sfl.org General Information: Info@sfl.org From the President's Disk by Nancy McKinney Dear Ski for Light Family, This is a particularly difficult bulletin article for me to write. It is difficult on two levels. Not only have their been catastrophic events in our country which are pulling my mind away; but this is also the last article I will write as SFL president. Certainly the former of the events is the most trying for me personally. However, I firmly believe that we must all continue to live our lives and do the things that make us who and what we are. Having said that, I will write about the future--future plans that we are making and future business that needs to be tended to. In order to plan the next event, a group recently traveled to Colorado. For those of you who have been to Colorado, you know how beautiful it is. I love the snow and winter but there something about early fall in the Rockies. The Aspen trees were changing their colors to a vibrant yellow, the sky was one moment blue and the next moment in the midst of a wild thunderstorm. Going for a walk it was a pleasure to smell the mountain air and feel the surroundings. It was somehow both reaffirming to go to Granby and exciting to get ready for next January. The trip certainly put me in the skiing frame of mind. So many things have to be done and in the able hands of event chair, Larry Showalter, I am sure that all will run smoothly. This year, as I said in my last article, is an election year. The election will be for Board members and the Executive Committee. The 2002 event will be the culmination of three terms as Ski for Light President for me. It has been so much fun, a bit of work and also at times a lesson in patience. The last six years would have been so much more difficult without all of the support I have gotten from the Executive Committees, Board Committees and my family. I will not be running for President again not only because of the term limit, but also because I feel it is important for organizations to have new blood in order to stay strong. The Nominations Committee will work together to identify individuals that are willing, ready and able to continue on. I am confident that it will be a smooth transition for us all. In closing, I hope that we can all take time for the important things in life. I plan to spend more time with my kids, more time guiding locally at the regional Ski for Light and more time relaxing with friends. Thank you everyone for being a part of the Ski for Light family. Looking forward to seeing you in Granby, Colorado! Come to Colorado for Ski for Light 2002 by Larry Showalter, Event Chair The Planning Committee is hard at work on preparations for Ski for Light 2002. The event will be held from Sunday, January 27 through Sunday, February 3, 2002 in Granby, Colorado. The skiing will be fantastic; the food and lodging will be terrific; the excitement will be contagious! It will be lots of just plain fun, and it will come at a time when most of us can really use a fun time with good friends. If you haven't submitted your application yet, please do so quickly. The easiest way to apply is to do so on-line at www.sfl.org. I look forward to seeing you there! Call for Nominations Nominees to the Ski for Light Board of Directors are being sought. Ski for Light is governed by an elected Board that is comprised of up to thirty members, including guides, VIPs, MIPs and others. The term of office for Board members is four years, with about half of the Board positions up for election every two years. The SFL Board is a working Board, and each Board member is expected to chair or serve on at least one standing committee and/or to be involved in either the annual SFL International Event or in the financial development efforts of the organization. This year's election of Board members will take place at the Annual Meeting on Friday, January 25, 2002. Nominations are due to the chair of the Elections Committee, Nancy McKinney, no later than Sunday, December 16, 2001. Anyone may nominate one or more persons, including him/herself, to the Board. Nominations must include the person's name, address and phone number, and a short biographical sketch that describes the candidate's involvement with SFL. Send your nominations via regular or electronic mail to: Nancy McKinney, nancy@sfl.org 6737 27th Avenue N.W. Seattle, WA 98117 If you have questions about how the SFL Board operates, or about the responsibilities of Board members, talk to any current Board member. If you have specific questions about any aspect of the nomination or election process, call Nancy at 206-789-2173 or contact her via e-mail at nancy@sfl.org. A Rocky Mountain Rendezvous (or bring your gold to Silver Creek) You may have heard of the 19th century tradition, the Rendezvous, where mountain men and women gathered annually at a chosen site to trade goods, share news, be with old friends, make new friends, get a little drunk and play some games. That pretty well describes the Ski for Light week! At the Silver Creek Rendezvous, we again have a place for you to bring your pelts, your axes, your syrup--whatever you imagine would be of interest to fellow Ski for Lighters. We place these goods in the Silent Auction. You put your names and bids on the items, and at the end of the week we all circle the wagons and raise the bids till the gong goes "GONG!" Then we all go home a lot richer, including Ski for Light. Of course, in the 21st century your 'goods' to bring might include pieces of art, craft items, vacation spots or trips and articles of sportswear. Direct any questions to auction coordinators, Jean and Gordon Larson, at jeangordon@qwest.net or 509-448-2631. Donated items can be shipped to Silver Creek in advance. The Inn at Silver Creek 62927 US Highway 40 Granby, CO 80446 Packages should be clearly marked: "Hold for Jean Larson/Ski for Light" and should be shipped to arrive after December 31, 2001. Win a Week at the Creek! Mike Claney, the owner of the Inn at Silver Creek is donating three week-long stays at the Inn at Silver Creek to SFL this year. These will be raffled off for $1.00 per ticket. If you are not coming this year, you can still participate by sending your check, made out to SFL, to: Gordon Larson, 7814 S. Ramona Rd., Spokane, WA 99224. Sled Hockey in the Desert by Jeff Pagels Mobility-Impaired Participant, Dianne Brunswick loves to play in the snow and ice, and moving to Phoenix, AZ has not slowed her down. Dianne first learned to play sled hockey at the New Hampshire Ski for Light event several years ago. As a regular participant at International Events and the Ridderrenn in Norway, Dianne felt the need to share with others, especially sled hockey, how winter outdoor sports can open new horizons for people who are mobility-impaired. Dianne, who works for the City of Phoenix Parks Department has planned and implemented a weekly sled hockey program in the Phoenix area. Aptly named, "Desert Ice" the program is now in its beginning stages to introduce the sport to the Phoenix area. Long term plans hopefully will include a quality competitive sled hockey team that can play against the 30 or so teams around the United States, Canada and Europe. (Sled Hockey is a Paralympic Sport.) Key to the Desert Ice program is the use of Ski for Light's expansive collection of ice hockey equipment including sleds, hockey sticks, helmets and safety pads. "Since SFL really only uses this gear for one week a year, we felt this was a great way to gain more use of the equipment" said Jeff Pagels, SFL Mobility Impaired Coordinator. And, as part of the agreement, the City of Phoenix covers the cost of shipping the SFL gear to wherever the next event location is, this has resulted in a significant savings in shipping costs for SFL. During the weekend of August 3, 4 and 5, other SFL Mobility Impaired Participants descended on Phoenix for a weekend of reunion and showing local Phoenix players and coaches the finer points of sled hockey. Stacy Altilio, Craig Gray, Doug Lee and Jeff Pagels joined the Desert Ice for some good fun and training. While outside the temperature was soaring past 100 degrees, inside the ice center, the temperature was in the 40's. A very welcome change which was enjoyed by everyone, especially the visitors from the North! Playing sled hockey in the summer served as a reminder of the good times to come at the 27th Annual SFL this winter in Granby, CO. Hope you can make it! Ridderrenn 2002 The Ridderrenn is the Norwegian equivalent of Ski for Light. It is a larger event than SFL and attended by people from many countries. Dates of the event are April 7 - 14, 2002. The group from the US usually stays on for a week of sightseeing in Oslo. If you are planning on attending or need any information please let Nancy McKinney or Larry Showalter know. Wisdom from the Great Outdoors The following message comes to us through SFL guide, Kari Heistad. Her brother, Per, is a professional motivational speaker, and he has graciously allowed us to reprint part of a very timely message. May it serve us as we heal from September's tragic events and prepare for January's terrific SFL Event. "Be a Redwood of Freedom" Redwood trees are the tallest of all trees, growing to almost 400 feet in height. Instead of the incredibly deep roots that you might expect of such huge trees, redwoods actually have an extremely shallow root system, which at times extends to only 12 feet deep. The root system of the redwoods grows extremely wide, and yet, as wide as the roots are, they still should not be able to support a 400-foot tree. Redwoods reach their incredible heights by growing close together. This means that each tree's root system intertwines with the roots of the other trees. By growing close together they become part of a huge root system that is able to support each tree's amazing height. Redwoods reach an incredible height because they grow in a redwood forest! Their individual strengths are increased because of the strength of their community. When a redwood tree dies, its roots continue to add strength to the forest's root system, even as its own seeds are used to grow another tree. When the new tree is small, it taps into the root system already in place. As it grows, it goes from using its current roots for strength to adding its own strength to the root system. Do redwoods use the support that the forest offers every day? Not only do they not use it every day, they rarely use the support at all. It is only on the rarest of days that the wind blows so hard that their "mutual support system" is used to its maximum. The trees spend years investing incredible amounts of energy building a root system that they will almost never use. However, when the day comes that they do use it, their investment is paid back in full. In much the same way as the trees band together to support each other, your community, like the forest, becomes a source of strength. Much of the support that your community has to offer you will not be used on a regular basis. It is only in extraordinary times that the amazing support offered by the community becomes obvious and able to be relied upon. Just as the trees must all stand together to brace themselves against the wind, now is the time that you and I must stand together, as one, to weather our current storm. The majestic redwoods have weathered the Pacific storms for thousands of years. Our "system" of freedom will weather this storm as well. Today, be the greatest redwood of freedom you can be. Enjoy your journey, Per Mr. Per is the author of My Brain is Sweating! an encyclopedia for self-development. He is also a professional speaker who has been called "an ordinary guy with an extraordinary message." Mr. Per can be reached at www.iztek.com. Regional Round-Up Land of the Vikings February 3 - 10, 2002 Sherman, PA Contact: Bjorg M. Dunlop Phone: 518-731-8741 E-mail: bjorgmd@aol.com Sierra Regional Ski For Light March 9 - 11, 2002 Tahoe Donner Cross Country Truckee, CA Cost: $155 with skis (double occupancy) $180 if you need skis (double occupancy) Contact: Julie Lisenby P.O. Box 276371 Sacramento, CA 95827-6371 Phone: 916-362-5759 e-mail: julis823@pacbell.net Sierra Regional Ski for Light Saturday day trips: Saturday, January 12, 2002 Saturday, February 9, 2002 Saturday, February 23, 2002 Location of all three day trips: Tahoe Donner Cross Country, Truckee California Cost: $16 (less if you have your own skis) Contact: Betsy Rowell Phone: 916-362-5557 E-mail: montbets@pacbell.net Black Hills Regional Ski for Light January 20 - 24, 2002 Deer Mountain Deadwood, SD Contact: John Gould Phone: 605-341-3626 P.O. Box 3707 Rapid City, SD 57709 Colorado Ski for Light February 22 - 24, 2002 Snow Mountain Ranch Granby, CO Contact: Scott Bertrand Phone: 303-986-6714 E-mail: bertrand@denveronline.net Michigan Ski For Light January 18 - 20, 2002 North Higgins State Park Roscommon, MI Cost: $100 per person Contact: Jim Ellickson Phone: 989-224-8288 E-mail: ellickson@voyager.net Web site: http://sites.netscape.net/ellickso Montana Ski for Light March 21 - 25, 2002 West Yellowstone, MT Cost: $236 per person (double occupancy) Participants also responsible for transportation to and from the site Contact: Ed Durbin Phone: 406-538-7151 E-mail: tedurbin@mcn.net New England Regional Ski for Light Dates Pending P.O. Box 234, Foxboro, MA 02035-0234 Voice mail: 508-660-9270 Contact: Claire Morrissette E-mail: clairejm@netzero.net Web site: http://www.nersfl.org Ohio Winter Sports Retreat Sponsored by ACB of Ohio January 18 - 21, 2002 Punderson State Park Newbury, OH Contact: Leah Noble Phone: 606-442-5218 E-mail: leah.noble@fuse.net Web site: http://www.acbohio.org/ Seattle (Puget Sound) Ski for Light Dates Pending Contact: Maida Pojtinger Phone: 253-631-7904 E-mail: rmpoj@aol.com Wisconsin Regional Ski For Light January 25 - 27, 2002 Wisconsin Lions Camp Rosholt, WI Contact: Beverly Helland Phone: 608-884-4955 E-mail: bhelland@madison.k12.wi.us Ski for Light Canada Dates Pending Web site: http://mypage.direct.ca/a/aac/index.html Contact: Annar Jacobsen Phone: 604-826-4559 Contact: Alice Cristofoli Phone: 250-368-6236 E-mail: aac@direct.ca Fund-Raising is a year-round event. One of the many goals of Ski for Light is to remain viable and affordable for years to come. There are now a number of ways you can help make this goal a reality. These include membership in Friends of Ski for Light, patronizing our corporate sponsors, recruiting new sponsors or giving to the Ski for Light Endowment fund. For more information, see our web site: www.sfl.org. You may also contact the Ski for Light office at 1455 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408. List of SFL Sponsors Please remember to support these corporate sponsors whenever you can. Ambutech Backpacker's Pantry Bison Cascade Designs Chuck Roast Crazy Creek Devold Feathered Friends Grabber Performance Group Granite Gear Jansport Jytte Mau Designs Malkerson's Cycle Wild New Halls Wheels Optic Nerve Power Bar Princeton Tec REI Salomon SnoWalkers Thorlo Zukes The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in print, on cassette, via e-mail or on the web at www.sfl.org. To receive the e-bulletin, send a message to Judy Dixon at: judy@sfl.org. Editor: Vicki Post E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Layout and Graphics: Lisa Wangberg E-mail: lisa@sfl.org