I’ve been fortunate to serve as executive director with Outdoors for All now for almost 22 years. I still regularly pinch myself at how fortunate I am! I get to work with some terrific people — and we get to work together to use outdoor recreation as a means to enrich the lives of thousands of children and adults with disabilities each year. Recently we’ve…
I’m looking forward to seeing many old friends and meeting new ones at our annual SPREEFEST at Alpental on Saturday, March 11, 2017. If you don’t know, SPREEFEST is our annual party on the slopes of Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass. Individuals and teams gather together to ski and snowboard, having raised money to support Outdoors for All’s mission. In the last few years alone our…
It never ceases to amaze me how our mission matters to so many people who are engaged in our programs. This winter I’ve had a chance to get out to many of our on-mountain programs at The Summit at Snoqualmie and at Stevens Pass. I still have more programs to visit (I know, tough duty!), but even so, what I’ve already seen and heard first-hand…
As a kid who skied on rope tows at Snoqualmie Pass for my first few years of skiing I remember thinking “Wow, someday, if I can get good enough at this, I hope that I’ll be able to move up to the slopes that use the chairlifts.” Well, thankfully with practice and some instruction in junior high, I made that goal. The idea of skiing…
I’m fortunate each year to get to volunteer my time with Disabled Sports USA for its annual Ski Spectacular event in Breckenridge, Colorado. What makes this annual event so genuinely spectacular is the mosaic of activities that occur throughout the week – and the incredible outcomes that result from those activities: For five days, almost a hundred adaptive lessons each day are received by injured…
I’d like to tell you about a man I deeply respect, admire and love: Ralph “RB” Brown. At our annual Ski Ball Gala this past month we recognized RB Brown as the event’s honoree. For the past 25 years, RB has volunteered his time year round to support our mission. He develops a personal rapport with others that is always helpful, friendly, humble to a…
Recently while I was out cycling I had a chance to think about what an extraordinary year it has been for Outdoors for All and the thousands of children and adults with disabilities whose lives we’re dedicating to enriching through outdoor recreation. I had a chance to reflect on a balanced set of values that we strive to maintain, that is to be “mission driven,…
Outdoors for All each year holds our gala auction in the fall. It’s a fun — and we hope — inspiring night for our guests to gather and enjoy a night in support of our mission and programs. This year’s gala will return on Saturday, October 22 to the Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel. We expect to have over 400 guests and another 50 or more…
I was reminded recently of just how important collaboration is for the Outdoors for All Foundation. For our organization, collaboration is not just a “buzzword” – for us, it’s part of our DNA. From our founding days as a nonprofit back in 1979, Outdoors for All (then Ski for All) began thanks to an incredible collaboration with a ski area. That collaboration continues decades later…
Adaptive Cycling Center opens up new avenues to exercise your abilities I’d like to tell you about one of the many different programs that Outdoors for All offers for children and adults with disabilities: our Adaptive Cycling Center at Magnuson Park in Seattle. I’m a big believer in our Adaptive Cycling Center because I’ve seen first-hand that: it’s for people of all abilities, there is…
