Support the GDSP!

I am a new volunteer to the Gateway Disabled Ski Program (GDSP) which is an adaptive ski and snowboarding program. I was introduced to the organization at an outdoors expo last year. I am a snowboarder, so I thought I would not be able to volunteer given the name of the program, but I was told that there was a need for volunteers who knew how to snowboard. I enthusiastically signed up and spent most Tuesdays and Thursday nights from January to February working with two athletes with one to two other volunteer snowboard instructors. We took a highly individualized approach with each athlete which allowed them to progress each week and to most importantly, have fun! With each week, I could see the athletes' increased confidence in learning how to snowboard.

 Being a GDSP volunteer was the highlight of my week getting the opportunity to work with such great athletes and volunteers! As the saying goes, "time flies by when you're having fun!" One of my athletes, Ava, and her brother created a video capturing the experience for her school's talent show which you can watch at this link: Talent Show Video

 Ava, GDSP snowboard athlete     

Funds raised for GDSP will go towards training volunteers. This includes bringing an adaptive ski instructor to St. Louis for a week and to send volunteers to Hartford Ski Instructor Academy in Breckenridge, CO. I appreciate any amount you can donate towards GDSP.