OCR Text |
Show 1 Fundraiser Nets $4,000 "I can't believe how people supported this fundraising effort, especially the people in Park City," commented Parkwest Handicap Ski Program Pro-gram Director Beverly Car-hart Car-hart after last Saturday's bash to raise money for handicap ski equipment. Carhart had expressed the need for a special sled to enable skiers in wheelchairs or who are partially paralyzed paralyz-ed to tackle the mountain. The response was overwhelming over-whelming points out Carhart who said they were forced to get organized and decided to raise enough money to purchase the sled and other badly needed special equipment equip-ment for both adults and children. The effort was off and running with a donation from the Hill family who ended up contributing over $2,000 to the program in memory of their late son, Paul Hill, who was killed in an auto accident . in front .of Parkwest iast month. "It was very difficult for them to come back to one of their son's favorite ski resorts but they wanted us to have the sled. I can't begin , to explain how pleased they ' were when they saw the donations from the Park City merchants." said Carhart. The fundraising effort garnered gar-nered over $4,000 for the special program. Carhart says the money will be used to purchase the sled and some "brand new, desperately desper-ately needed outriggers." In addition, she said they plan to use some of the money to build special equipment to allow some of the handicapped handicap-ped children to ski who can't afford the equipment. The effort culminated in Saturday's party and was attended by all types of skiers including some who will benefit from the purchase pur-chase of new equipment. Kevin Yost of Bountiful said the program was an important import-ant one because it "gives someone like myself ' more freedom. It's a real boost to your ego to be able to go skiing." Corey Burton explained he had skied for years before ending up in a wheelchair: "I think skiing is the greatest sport, period, and I miss it. To me it's invaluable." Most of the people who attended the party were there because they supported support-ed the existence of the Handicapped Ski program at the resort. Van Beere said he felt the "program provided an outlet of recreation that otherwise wouldn't be available avail-able to those who are handicapped." Dan and Sally Byer expressed expres-sed common sentiments a-mong a-mong those at the party: "Everyone should have the opportunity to ski just like everybody else does. Everyone Every-one deserves the opportunity to have fun and we who aren't handicapped should help those who are as much as we can." |