SFL BULLETIN Fall 1996 Ski for Light, Inc. 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 From the President by Nancy Rowan Last week on an airplane headed eastbound to Minneapolis I saw a lunar eclipse. The sky was incredible with stars just out of arm's reach. The journey was one to take part in meetings--primarily the planning meeting for next year's event in Brainerd, Minnesota. However, viewing the sparkling stars as we hovered above a cloud layer, all I could think about was the trip I had taken last spring to Norway. Norway is a beautiful country. I got to go there as one of four official members of the Ski for Light Ridderren team--that is one of four people, two guides and two skiers, selected to attend the Ridderren. The Ridderren is a cross-country ski event in Beitostolen, Norway which is attended by people from all over the world. As luck would have it, the person I was to guide in Norway, Wendy David, was also from Seattle, WA. Although we had not spent much time with each other on skis, we had shared some time together at our regional events. Little did I know how much fun the U.S. group would have. Arriving in Oslo was a bit perplexing--we ended up in a large room searching for our luggage that was not there. Because we were so excited to get going and rather silly from laughing all the way from Seattle, we let our Norwegian hosts track our luggage down for us, a wise decision. The next day dawned with a lovely blue sky and a rather warm temperature. It was a surprise and would continue to surprise us all week long. Luggage in hand, we arrived in Beitostolen that afternoon and after getting settled we took a look around. The mountains there seemed very old to me--much more rugged. The small downhill ski area was looking pretty rocky to me. Certainly not a place to take a pair of prized skis. We skied as much as possible all week. Unfortunately, the lovely weather was melting the snow faster than it seemed possible. Mid-week there was a biathlon. It was shorter than normal. Still, there were opening ceremonies and plenty of people cheering the racers on. The folks organizing the Ridderren week worked very hard to ensure a race day. The Norwegian soldiers spent hours both day and night trying to save the tracks. We were so impressed by the presence of these young men and women. They were actually out on the tracks with shovels moving snow. By the time Saturday, race day, rolled around the course was shortened from the usual 20K to a 6K race. Time and again I was reminded of our 1996 event in South Dakota when it was too cold to ski so we had to plan activities indoors. Luckily for us, in Norway we could go out and hike a bit. There are many wonderful memories. Special times spent skiing with Wendy, laughing with old friends and meeting new ones--showing Wendy sculptures, church buildings and even the buffalo hair on the hat of a soldier in the King's Guard. Visiting Norway and attending the event that Ski for Light is modeled after was a trip of a lifetime. I encourage any who have considered the trip to go. Also, take time to see other parts of Norway if you can. The city of Oslo is charming and the country between Oslo and the west coast is lovely. An hour after the lunar eclipse, I landed in Minneapolis. With the thoughts of Norway fresh in my mind, I felt ready to attend meetings--ready to again be a part of planning the next SFL event. Ski for Light and the Ridderren are so different but at our core we really are the same. 1997 Ridderren The 1997 Ridderren will be held from Sunday, April 6 to Sunday, April 13. The cost for the week should be approximately $650 excluding airfare. If you are interested in attending, contact Bud Keith through the SFL office or call him at 703-528-4455. SFL at the Paralympics by Scott McCall The 1996 Paralympic Games were preceded by the Paralympic Congress. More than 1,500 individuals representing 90 countries attended and discussed topics relating to the issue of access to athletics and recreation. It was my privilege to present the SFL story to this unique gathering. My presentation focused on our history in Norway and in this country, our mission and philosophy, and the partnership that has been forged between able-bodied and disabled participants. This was the framework for discussing event management, governance, and guide training. Based on many questions and comments, I believe the presentation was well-received. It was truly an honor to represent SFL before such a distinguished group. It's Contagious by Jack Newbury WOW! I am writing this from Cragun's Lodge in Brainerd, Minnesota, the site of the 1997 International Week, and I am really pumped up. Our Planning meetings have just concluded, and you can be sure that the 1997 event will be another tremendous success. As you consider your plans I hope my enthusiasm is contagious. As you think about your participation, do you want to help raise money to benefit the organization? Are there companies or organizations in your community you could contact that would be able to help Ski for Light? or are you a member of a group that wants to know more about what you have been talking about all this time? Our Promotional Kit is designed to help you handle these questions. The Promotional Kit can be tailored to individual needs by simply selecting the items you want from the list at the end of this Bulletin. Available items include audiovisual aids such as our overheads to accompany a speech and the Ski for Light video. Other materials are suitable for leaving with your audience or mailing to individuals. This year, we have added our new Corporate Sponsor's Program packet for those who know of a company that might provide guides, product, or cash support. If you have any questions or ideas on ways we might improve our Promotional Kit materials, please contact me at: P.O. Box 5 Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538-0005 Telephone: 207-633-2055 A New Experience by Dick Ashley The weather was overcast and the air had that salt water smell. I was in Boston as one of the fifteen participates in the first Sail for Light. I had always wanted to learn to sail, but like so many other things in life, I had never gotten around to it. Now I would have the opportunity. In the morning of the first day, Suzanne Brown and I were teamed with Carl, our instructor. The boats we would use were 15-foot centerboard sloops. Carl's directions sounded like a foreign language. Every part had a name, none of which I knew. Ropes do not exist on a sailboat. Lines, halyards and sheets do. I was getting confused--and we were still tied to the dock! Now for the big moment. We hoisted the sail and left the dock. Carl sailed us out on the Charles River. Well, now it was our turn to sail. Carl explained how to tack and gibe to make the boat turn. I quickly learned how to keep away from the boom by ducking each time I tacked or gibed. A very valuable lesson! After lunch, I met Margaret who was my instructor for the afternoon. She described the boat's reaction to each maneuver I made. Again, I was taught more of that foreign language--head up, bear off, close-hauled, broad reach, eye of the wind, luffing, leeward, and so on. As I achieved various course changes, I began to feel how the boat responded to my moves. By the end of the day, I could follow Margaret's commands and generally make the boat respond properly. I also was slowly developing an awareness of wind direction and velocity. The weather was overcast and threatening rain when Steve, my instructor for the second day and I went to rig our boat. I sailed the entire day listening to Steve's direction and explanations. Of course, there was plenty of tacking and jibing to keep me on my toes. The more I sailed, the more relaxed and comfortable I felt. We kept on sailing as the weather deteriorated and before long the rain was steady. Sailors don't stop for a little rain--that is what all-weather gear is for! It was still drizzling next morning when we went to tour the U.S.S. Constitution. Active duty Navy personnel, dressed in the uniform of the period, served as hosts and talked about the ship. I found it hard to believe that she would be 200 years old next year. She was impressive and the restoration was superb. With my feeble new knowledge, I could appreciate the monumental effort needed to sail a fighting ship over 200 feet in length. I learned a lot about Navy fighting ships of that era. After lunch, we had an opportunity to sail in Boston Harbor. I joined Laurel Largent, Lorraine O'Brian, Don Morrow, and Jasmine Schuchardt aboard the 35-foot sloop, Morning Star. We each had a chance to take the tiller. I had a wonderful afternoon just cruising in the harbor, practicing my new skills. The next day, our last day, was sunny--amazing! A brisk wind was blowing. Sam Brown, Maria Hansen and I joined Jay and Warren, our instructors, on a 23-foot sloop for a morning of sailing. Each took turns at the three-crew position, always under the watchful eyes of Jay and Warren. I learned how to handle a jib thus adding to my growing sailing skills. In the afternoon, I met Cindy who was my racing partner, and more importantly, was my coach and my tactician. The Community Boating Tiller Club conducted the first Sail for Light Regatta. At the pre-regatta meeting, the race course and race rules were explained. Everyone sailed out to get ready for the race. All 15 crews had the same goal in mind--to be the first boat to cross the start line at the exact moment of the start and not before. I had never been so close to other boats before. With 15 boats jockeying for position at the start, there were boats all around me. I could hear their sounds as they moved through the water, their crews talking and the noise of their sails. It sounded like mass-confusion to me--but Cindy was cool! My hear was pounding and my adrenalin level kept rising as the countdown got closer to the start. Five, four, three, two, one--then we were racing. I concentrated on maneuvering the boat as Cindy directed. The other boats sounded so close that I felt I could reach out and touch them. My brain was working in reverse and I was doing everything just opposite of what Cindy wanted. I tried to get a mental image of the race course and our position on it--but found it was impossible. Suddenly, the race was over. Cindy said we finished third. What a feeling--and this was the first time I ever raced a sailboat. Before I knew what was happening, the second race was on. Again, I concentrated on Cindy's instructions. I must have been a good student because we won that race. The third time out we placed in the middle of the pack. Now in the fourth and last race, we were in the pack when the boat ahead of us overturned, giving us the poorest showing of the day. No one was hurt but they had another good story to tell. Later, the race regatta results were announced. In the blind division, Sam Brown won, Jasmine Schuchardt was second, and Beverley Wike was third. To my shock and amazement, I won the partial division, thanks to Cindy, and my other marvelous instructors. Laurie Gregorio finished second and Duane Farrar finished third. The sailing was over and all of us had stories to tell. I was now a novice sailor who had very warm memories made possible by some very special people. Many, many thanks to Amy Bower and David Fisicella, who, through their vision, tireless effort, and boundless energy made Sail for Light happen. We all appreciate what they did. Thanks to the Tiller Club. They were terrific instructors and they ran a great regatta. Of course, thanks to Community Boating Inc. for use of their boats and facilities. SFL LOSES A FRIEND by Bud Keith Loret Miller Ruppe who served as the American ambassador to Norway from 1989-93, died of cancer in August. Loret, whose great-grandfather founded the Miller Brewing Company, and whose father was captain of the Notre Dame football team under the fabled Knute Rockne, was one of the most popular ambassadors to Norway in recent years. She considered herself to be a friend of Erling Stordahl and frequently demonstrated her enthusiastic support of both the Ridderren and Ski for Light. I first knew Loret when she was Director of the Peace Corps and I was on the board of the National Council of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. It was a pleasant surprise when she left Peace Corps and became our ambassador to Norway. She leaves her husband, Phil Ruppe, a former Congressman from Michigan, her five daughters and three grandchildren. Loret was a gracious lady who warmly supported the SFL representatives at the Ridderren. We will sincerely miss her. Regional Roundup Sierra Regional February 8-10 Tahoe Donner Nordic Center Truckee, CA Contact: Julie Lisenby 3510 Gold Creek Lane Sacramento, CA 95827 Telephone: 916-362-5759 $120 with skis and $135 if skis needed Colorado Regional February 7-9 Frisco nordic Center Summit County, CO Contact: Carolyn Haas (skiers) 5182 E. Asbury Avenue Denver, CO 80222 Telephone: 303-757-7434 Contact: Ron Barton (guides) 7068 S. Lafayette Way Englewood, CO 80122 Telephone: 303-798-2755 Michigan Regional January 17-19 North Higgins State Park Roscommon, MI Contact: Bill Richards 201-1/2 N. Clinton Avenue St. Johns, MI 48879 Telephone: 517-224-8285 Montana Regional January 29-February 2 Grouse Mountain Lodge Whitefish, MT Contact: Ed Durbin R.R. 1, Box 1610 Lewistown, MT 59457-9711 Telephone: 406-538-7151 $267 New England Regional January 17-19 Twin Mountain, NH $90 February 7-9 Lake Morey Inn Fairlee, VT $110 Contact: Claire Morrissette 16 Cedar Lane Foxboro, MA 02035 Telephone: 508-543-6157 N.E. Pennsylvania Regional January 5-12 Land of the Vikings Sherman, PA Contact: Bjorg Dunlop R.R. 1, Box 218E Earlton, NY 12058 Telephone: 518-731-8741 $277 Black Hills Regional January 19-23 Deer Mountain Ski Resort Deadwood, SD Contact: John Gould Black Hills SFL P.O. Box 3707 Rapid City, SD 57709 Telephone: 605-341-3626 $150 Puget Sound (Seattle) Regional January 11, 25 February 8, 22 March 8, 22 Stampede Pass, WA Contact: Maida Pojtinger 12556 S.E. 270th Street Kent, WA 98031 Telephone: 206-631-7904 $10 per event Wisconsin Regional January 24-26 Wisconsin Lions Camp Rosholt, WI Contact: Beverley Helland 10168 Amber Trail Edgerton, WI 53534 Telephone: 608-884-4955 1997 Program JOURNAL Photos Needed! If you have photos from previous SFL events that you are willing to share, we would greatly appreciate your help by sending them for the 1997 program journal. If they are not duplicates and need to be returned, please indicate that and write your name and address on the back of each individual photo. We always need lots of photos for the journal and would really welcome your participation. Send photos to: Gina Bevilacqua 42-1/2 Plymouth Street Lexington, OH 44904 Telephone: 419-884-8242 SKI FOR LIGHT PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Speakers Kit - each kit comes in attractive folder featuring the Ski for Light logo and contains a simple donations accounting packet. Order materials you need by writing to the SFL office. Speech outline to help you cover all the necessary points (PowerPoint presentation) -- Overheads -- On computer disk -- Paper Copies (may be photocopied for handouts) 1996 Program Journal Ski for Light brochure describing the organization (suitable for leave-behind) Solicitation letter requesting financial support (available in printed form or disk) -- IBM Format - Word 6.0 -- IBM Format - Other (please indicate) -- Macintosh Format - Word 6.0 -- Macintosh Format - Other -- Printed Format (Individuals may make photocopies as needed) Profiles of a MIP, VIP and guides to add a personal touch/show successes from different angles. Copy of IRS letter confirming our tax-deductible status Donation Log - this will assist you in obtaining necessary thank you letters for your donors Promotional Videotape (Jim Salestrom -- 6 minutes) $15 per copy Corporate Sponsor Packet - Packet for potential Corporate Sponsors, which includes Corporate Sponsorship guidelines, journal, skier/guide profiles, IRS letter confirming our tax-deductible status. Please provide the following information indicate sponsorship information Name of potential Sponsor Address Contact Person Phone Number Post-it Notes - pad of 50 Post-it Notes with Ski for Light logo -- black on white $1.00/pad If ordering videotapes or Post-it notes -- be sure to include check made payable to Ski for Light.