Join me in providing life changing experiences for children and adults with disabilities!

Achieve Tahoe is a nonprofit that builds health, confidence and independence through recreational sports for children and adults with disabilities. The organization serves over 500 people a year through one-on-one snowsports lessons, waterskiing, paddle sports and more. Achieve Tahoe's highly trained instructors and specialized, adaptive equipment allow the organization to serve just about anyone with any disability. Achieve Tahoe participants and family members often say that their experience with Achieve Tahoe goes on to affect other areas of their life such as gaining confidence to try other sports, becoming more social, and breaking down perceived barriers showing them that they can do things they perhaps never thought they could before.

It’s that time of year again, the time that comes each winter when we’ve had some incredible skiing already and we’re impatiently waiting for more snow to fall. This seems like the perfect time to reflect on how good it feels to glide down the slopes and realize how wonderful it is to help people with special needs feel this sensation. Achieve Tahoe does just that. Achieve depends on volunteers and donations to keep the program going. If you are able to give either time or financial support, you will not regret it. After three years of volunteering with Achieve, I could not be more enthusiastic about the program. I give it my whole hearted endorsement, and I hope that you can help me reach my fundraising goal.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be involved with the Semper Fi ski week through Achieve. This week celebrates military veterans, who come from all over the United States, by providing lessons at three Tahoe ski resorts. As a career military dependent, I really wanted to get to know these participants, with whom I felt I had a lot in common. For three days, my Achieve partner and I skied with Sharika, a very enthusiastic Army veteran, who came all the way from Florida to ski the Sierras. Boy, did we have fun! We explored each resort to find hills with the just-right challenge, used creative techniques to teach skiing skills, even danced a bit on the slopes! We are not opposed to silliness or whatever it takes to teach a particular skill. On the lifts we had great conversations and developed a lasting friendship. By the end of the third day, Sharika had definitely transformed from a beginner to an intermediate skier. The memories will last a lifetime.

This is one of many success stories that happen everyday at Achieve Tahoe. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Achieve Tahoe.

Happy Skiing!

Kerry