SFL Bulletin Summer 1999 Plan Now! Ski For Light 2000 January 30-February 6, Granby, CO SFL's 25th Anniversary From the President's Disk by Nancy McKinney Planning is the key activity within the Ski for Light circle right now. Planning for the next event, planning for the endowment, planning for the future. Of course most of us are also enjoying a host of summer activities such as climbing Mt. Rainier, sailing on a Windjammer Cruise in the Northeast, trekking in Montana, Hiking in the Rockies, or in my case camping in the Cascades with my kids. Getting back to the point, committees are in full gear planning for the 25th Anniversary event which will be held January 30 through February 6 at the Inn at Silver Creek in Granby, Colorado. With the leadership of Marie Huston, Event Chair, the Planning Meeting will take place at the end of September. We look forward to working out the details of such an important event. Rooms are being held for 350 people for the week and I am certain that we will be at capacity! As many of you know, Ski for Light kicked off it's Endowment Campaign in Anchorage with a presentation of a gift from Valerie Anders of $25,000. The Endowment is one way we can plan for the future and ensure that people from all walks of life can enjoy the SFL program. Read further in this bulletin to learn more about the Endowment and the exciting direction it will take us. The future has a way of sneaking up on us. Along with all of the anniversary excitement, there will also be elections next year. Elections will be for board positions as well as the Executive Committee. This Bulletin more details about the election process. However, if you want to know more about being a board member and the responsibilities therein, please get in touch with me. I can be reached via e-mail at: Nancy@sfl.org or by phone: 206-789-2173. Thank you everyone for all of the time and energy put in to SFL. Hope you have had an enjoyable summer. Ski for Light Celebrates its Silver Anniversary in the Rockies by Marie Huston Event Chair Once again, SFL returns to the mountains of Colorado for the 25th International event. From January 30 through February 6, more than 250 blind, sighted and mobility impaired skiers will be enjoying a week of Cross country skiing, after ski fun and 25 years of celebration. Why not join us! Located in the Rockies, Granby is three hours from Denver. Our home will be the Inn at Silver Creek, which has been renovated this past year. Especially of interest to SFL'ers, there are new hot tubs and a new restaurant and lounge. It is a full service hotel with great hospitality. Skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch is amazing, with 90 kilometers of trails, plenty of snow & sunshine. It is a premier cross-country center with a large lodge. The 25th Anniversary in Granby Colorado is sure to be something special, Please come celebrate with old and new friends! Applications for visually-impaired participants are available from: Judy Wilkinson 528 W. 111th street, #7 New York, NY 10025-1934 (212) 662-9593 E-mail: judyw@sfl.org Applications for mobility-impaired participants are available from: Jeff Pagels 1400 Carole Lane Green Bay, WI 54313 (414) 494-5572 E-mail: jeff@sfl.org Applications for instructor/guides are available from: Brenda Seeger P.O. Box 414 Westbrook, MN 56183 (507) 274-5502 E-mail: brenda@slf.org Electronic applications are also available on the Ski for Light web page: www.sfl.org Preparing for the Future by Larry Showalter As Ski for Light moves toward the milestone of its 25th Anniversary, we can feel good about what has been accomplished during the organization's first quarter century. Hundreds of blind or mobility-impaired people have learned how to cross-country ski at SFL. They have learned or re-discovered that having a physical disability does not mean that they can't have a physically active lifestyle. They've learned that attitudes and perceptions are the real barriers to what a person with a disability can accomplish, not the disability itself. They've made new friends, learned about other cultures, especially the Norwegian culture, and had a great time while doing it. Many participants say that SFL is special and unique for three main reasons. First, they say that the International Week and skiing are rewarding, exciting, and just plain fun. Next, they say that SFL is about the best organized event for people with disabilities that they have encountered. Finally, they say that the support, commitment and enthusiasm of those involved in the program, especially the instructor/guides, is what ties everything together and makes it work so well. So we should all feel good about what has happened in the past, and about where SFL is today. As we start to think ahead to the future for Ski for Light, there is absolutely no reason why the organization can't continue to prosper and make a real difference to people for the next twenty-five years and beyond. Yet with all of these positives there is one area that we need to strengthen to insure that SFL will continue to flourish in the future. That area is funding. The Board and the various committees that do the work of Ski for Light try very hard to keep the cost of the annual event affordable for all. They do this through various fund-raising projects and activities, and by keeping expenses as low as possible. But it is getting harder and harder to keep the cost of the annual event and running SFL from escalating. In order to financially strengthen the organization for the new millennium, and to keep the cost of the annual event affordable for all, SFL has embarked on two significant new fund-raising ventures. First, the SFL Endowment Fund has been created. This was described in the Spring SFL Bulletin, and you will be hearing more about our five-year $1 million campaign. As this Fund grows over time it will be able to make significant contributions to the financial needs of SFL each year. Second is the creation of an Annual Appeal to begin this fall. This campaign will reach out to past and current participants and guides, to people who have financially supported Ski for Light in the past, and to many others who may be willing to financially support SFL once they know more about it. The annual Friends of SFL membership drive will continue as a major component of the organization's fundraising plan. Help Ski for Light prepare for the next century. You can do this by being as financially generous as your situation permits when you receive the Annual Appeal this fall. Also consider making a significant contribution to the Endowment Fund, or to including SFL in your will. You can also help by letting us know of potential donors to SFL. These could be friends, relatives, the company for which you work, organizations to which you belong, foundations in your area that support activities like SFL, or individuals in your area who are known for their financial generosity to worthy causes. Take just a moment to jot down the contact information for even two or three such leads, and send them to the SFL office with a short note telling us about them. Or you may send your leads via e-mail to Endowment Chair Laura Oftedahl at: Laura@sfl.org. We will take it from there. We are all looking forward to the future, and to the fun, excitement and new experiences yet to come at Ski for Light. If we all do what we can to keep SFL financially on-track, that future will indeed be a bright one. SFL'ers Make Sales Room a Success by Pat Gabriel, Sales Room Coordinator With the receipts all in and the numbers all crunched, I'm pleased to report that your generosity made 1999 another record-breaking year for the Ski For Light Sales Room! Total purchases were just over $12,900 with a net income of almost $11,500. A whopping $2,800 of the income came from the 99 items donated by 36 SFL'ers to the Silent Auction. As usual, bidding was intense in the final moments, especially for some rare Beanie Babies and vacation time at a condo in Park City, UT. Other popular items included an Osprey Mountaineering backpack, a 4-track tape recorder and several exquisite Norwegian sweaters. The balance of Sales Room proceeds were made possible by the efforts of our Corporate Sponsor committee, which collected many quality outdoor items from some of the best names in the business. Ski for Light's corporate sponsors are listed on the back page of this newsletter. Please support these companies! For those of you unfamiliar with the current sales room, you'll find cross-country skiing tights, commemorative long-sleeved T-shirts provided by JanSport (with a design unique to the year and location), high-quality active-wear socks, hats, gloves and much, much more. Of course, Silent Auction items will be welcome for the 25th Anniversary event as well! Last year we saw some real creativity on the part of SFL'ers who brought us items from local businesses in their area, as well as more personal and expertly hand-crafted donations. Please watch the fall SFL Bulletin for details on where to send Silent Auction offerings in advance of SFL 2000. You may also carry items with you to the event itself. In closing, I'd just like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the success of the Sales Room. This means everyone who purchased items as well as those who donated them! Proceeds from the Sales Room have become a vital part of the financial health of Ski for Light and to defraying costs of making each event better than the last. See you in Colorado (ready to shop!). Ski For Light Regionals We are eager to publicize SFL Regional events, but we need to know about them! Send info to Laura Oftedahl, Bulletin Editor. Sierra Regional Ski for Light March 11 - 13, 2000 Tahoe Donner Cross Country, Truckee, CA Cost: $120 without ski rental, $145 with ski rental Additional cost for lodging Friday night in Sacramento Contact: Betsy Rowell 9608 Mira Del Rio Dr. Sacramento, CA 95827 Phone: (916) 362-557 E-mail: betsy@unlimited.net The Key West Experience: Ski for Light in the Sun May 16-22, 2000 Mens sana in corpore sano ó "A sound mind in a sound body." This famous Latin quotation highlights the double focus of the Key West Experience. A program designed exclusively for the Ski for Light community. On this program for the mind and body, we have combined sports activities with literary and historical sites in Key West to enrich body and mind. Key West has always been a haven for those who love fun in the sun and the water. It has also been a haven where artists (writers, sculptors and painters) have produced outstanding creative works. It was Key West that captivated the spirit and soul of Ernest Hemingway. In this island paradise, Hemingway lived, owned his own boat, spent many happy hours fishing in the waters around Key West and wrote most of his greatest literary works. On this Key West program we are offering a truly special and unique adventure in a subtropical paradise. You will have opportunities to go parasailing - to take to the brilliant blue skies and experience what it might be like to fly like a bird. In addition, we are offering deep-sea fishing excursions with experienced fishermen who know the best places to fish and who will provide expert guidance to make this a truly memorable outing. For those interested in snorkeling, the crystal clear waters shimmering above the coral reefs will provide a unforgettable vista of the aquatic world. And, if you are into beaches and just basking in the sun, there will be ample opportunity to soak up the rays while enjoying a refreshing drink and feasting on Key West's very best key lime pie. An earlier Key West experience designed with blind folks in mind conflicts with SFL's 25th celebration in Colorado. This program, therefore, has been designed and scheduled especially for the SFL family. The one-to-one, blind to sighted SFL partnership philosophy is our goal. SFL participants who register before the deadline, November 1, 1999, will have first consideration. For more details on this very special opportunity,, contact Bud Keith by e-mail at budkeith@netcom.com, or by phone before 9:30 p.m. eastern time at 703-528-4455. Ski for Light Forever Please consider remembering Ski for Light in your Last Will and Testament. You can do so by including a special paragraph indicating your wishes. If your wishes are complex, an attorney should be consulted. Ahoy Mates! Windjammer Cruise in Summer 2000 Come cruise the down east Maine coast from the 17th to the 22nd of July 2000. Spend six days on board the schooner J. & E. Riggin exploring the secluded coves, uninhabited islands, historic towns, and island fishing villages. There is no need to fear sea-sickness because you will be sailing the protected coastal waters of Maine within sight of land. Each night will be spent in a different protected anchorage. The cost of the cruise is $680 per person. A deposit of $250 is required to reserve your space, with $125 due August 15th and $125 due October 15th. Make checks payable to "J. & E. Riggin" and mail to: Dick Ashley 738-B S. 15 St. Arlington, Va. 22202-2709 Phone: (703) 892-9082 E-Mail: dickashley@juno.com Ski for Light (SFL) Celebrates 25 Successful Years in 2000 Here Are 25 Reasons to Support SFL 1. SFL introduces the joy of cross-country skiing to people who are blind or visually impaired. 2. SFL enables mobility impaired people to enjoy sit-skiing and other snow and ice activities. 3. SFL provides opportunities for experienced able-bodied cross-country skiers to volunteer as instructor/guides. 4. SFL is an all-volunteer organization with no paid employees. 5. SFL uses a one-on-one approach, allowing people with disabilities to learn sports that can be enjoyed with family and friends anywhere. 6. SFL brings strangers together and creates lifelong friendships. 7. SFL is ensuring its future by building an Endowment Fund of $1 million. 8. SFL is an open atmosphere where able-bodied and disabled people participate equally in recreational, social and cultural activities. 9. SFL trains guides through on-snow, interactive experiences. 10. SFL is an opportunity for people with disabilities to exercise in the outdoors, and to learn how to maintain healthy lifestyles. 11. SFL has spawned eight regional programs throughout the country. 12. SFL enables people from all backgrounds to learn and share in the rich cultural and recreational Norwegian heritage. 13. SFL is a tax-deductible giving opportunity. 14. SFL designs and assembles adaptive equipment for skiers with mobility impairments. 15. SFL produces high-quality guide training materials in the form of videos and manuals. 16. SFL is capably-led by disabled and able-bodied people. 17. SFL touches the lives of hundreds of people in communities all over the U.S. 18. SFL provides financial assistance to first-time blind and mobility-impaired participants. 19. SFL's regionals offer year-round outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, tandem cycling, in addition to cross-country skiing. 20. SFL recognizes the commitment of able-bodied instructor/guides through travel and lodging stipends. 21. SFL is diverse abilities, knowledge, lifestyles, and experiences. 22. SFL is learning new things like dancing, sledding and more. 23. SFL receives from the Minnesota Attorney General's office a consistently high rating for a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. 24. SFL is international, enabling people from many countries to appreciate other cultures and languages. 25. SFL is magic. 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 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 fifteen Board members will take place at the Annual Meeting on Friday, January 28,, 2000. Nominations are due to the chair of the Elections Committee, Judy Dixon, no later than Sunday, December 19, 1999. 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, in writing, to: Judy Dixon 1101 N. Stuart Street Arlington, VA 22201 E-mail: judy@sfl.org If you have questions about how the SFL Board operates, or about theresponsibilities of Board members, talk to any current Board member. If you have specific questions about any aspect of the nominationor election process, call Judy at (703) 276-9191, or contact her via e-mail at judy@sfl.org. Subscribing to the SFL Bulletin SFL Bulletin is published three times a year in print, on cassette, via E-Mail and on the SFL web site: www.sfl.org. Deadlines: April 1, August 1, and November 1. Editor: Laura Oftedahl 104 Coolidge Hill Road, Unit 7 Watertown, MA 02472 Phone: 617-923-7768 E-Mail: laura@sfl.org Layout and Design: Kari Heistad Newton, MA Email: kari@sfl.org SFL Web Master: Judy Dixon Arlington, VA E-Mail: judy@sfl.org To subscribe to the SFL Bulletin via E-Mail, send a message to: judy@sfl.org Indicate if we can discontinue sending you the print or cassette edition of the SFL Bulletin. Thank you Ski For Light Sponsors JanSport, Bison Designs, Alpina, Alaska Digitell, Bula, Camel Back, Cascade Designs, Chuck Roast, Inc., Crazy Creek, Devold, Exel, Grabber Performance Group, Granite Gear, Halls Wheels, Hotfingers, Jytte May, Mountain Lift, Pearl Izumi, Rocky Mt Sunscreen, SAS Airlines, Thor-Lo, Turtle Fur, Wyoming Wear SFL is a member of ORCA, Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America