Danny and Heather of Chill

This past weekend at Bolton Valley, VT (www.boltonvalley.com ) I got to meet some dedicated volunteers from two terrific organizations who make snowsports part of kids' lives who otherwise would never get to the slopes and in the process, change their lives forever. 

Burton's CHILL foundation (www.chill.org ) brings at-risk teens to the slopes--not only in Vermont but around the country--once a week, using snowboarding to teach them life lessons like the value of persistence in the process.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports (www.vermontadaptive.org )  enables kids and adults with physical and cognitive challenges to get out on the snow with special adaptive equipment if needed and as many as three instructors.  "You can't imagine what this does for his self esteem," one mom told me.

You can't imagine what this does for the parents who can send these kids off knowing they are safe and happy and can get a rare break while they are on the mountains. Next time you are thinking of how hard it is to take your kids someplace, think of these families and thank organizations like CHILL and VERMONT ADAPTIVE for being there.