More News
- » Newsletters
- » News And Events
- » Volunteer News/Events
- » Meet Our Students
- » Fundraising Events
- » Event Calendar
- » Facts And Figures
- » Job Opportunities
Get Involved
DO GOOD - FEEL GOOD
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is successful because of many people and organizations.
News Archives
Sierra Cycle Challenge July 24-26, 2010
Help Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra raise much needed funds while having an amazing time cycling in the Eastern Sierra! Superbly supported...fabulous food!
DSES knows that outdoor challenges make a huge difference in people's lives. Every pedal stroke will bring dollars and awareness to our students and their needs. There will be fantastic support (including a ride up anything too challenging) to make this your most memorable ride ever. Massages, hot tubs, catered meals, fishing and more....
» Read More
» Information & Sample Fund Raising Letter
June Lake Triathlon - Volunteers Needed!
Saturday, July 10, 2010 you can help make the 4th Annual June Lake Triathlon the best ever!
We have many opportunities for volunteers including, kayaking the swim course, setting up the running course, placing signs on the bike course, body marking (always a covetted job), race registration, transition area, aid station support, medical aide, safety patrol, motorcycle patrol..... and much, much more. Volunteers are needed.
» Read Triathlon Details Here
Annual Springtacular - April 20-23, 2010
The Annual DSES Springtacular takes place April 20-23, 2010. This special event is designed for participants of all ages with cognitive disabilities. It includes four days of skiing or snowboard instruction, lift tickets, equipment rentals, lunches, a banquet and participation ceremony, a commemorative t-shirt, and LOTS of FUN!
» Read More
Slide-a-thon Fund Raiser - April 10, 2010
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is taking our FUNdraising out on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain on Saturday, April 10th. Be an individual or join a team to raise money for our worthy program. Start your own fundraising page through Firstgiving.com and make it easy for your friends, family and co-workers to support your efforts.
You will be rewarded! You score an event T-shirt and lunch while doing a great thing for others. Individuals: Raise a minimum of $200 Teams of five: Raise a minimum of $1,000. Fun events and challenges throughout the day! Call Laurel at 760.934.0791 to register TODAY!
» Read More
» Registration Form
» Liability Release Form
Friday-Sunday, March 12-14, 2010
Mono Ski Madness
Open to mono skiers of all abilities. Improve your skiing and your racing skills with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra and Paralympic Medalist and National Demo Team Coach Bill Bowness. » Read More
Friday-Sunday, February 26-28, 2010
Paralympic Alpine Ski Camp
Learn to ski, improve your skiing, learn to race, improve your racing with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra.
» Read More
» Read This Mammoth Times Article
The Best Western is offering a 25% discount to participants in this camp. This will mean the weekend is $142.50 and weekday is $120.00. Please mention that you are booking for the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. This includes standard handicap rooms.
Operation Mountain Freedom - February 1-5, 2010
Wounded Warriors and DSES Volunteers - Sue Morning Photo
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra volunteers are joined by 14 Wounded Warriors who took part in Operation Mountain Freedom, the fourth annual event in this series. After skiing and riding on the mountain all morning, the Warriors, their families and a capacity crowd of Rotarians, volunteers and government officials were inspired by addresses from MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory, Olympian Deena Kastor, and Pickle Meadows Commander Col. John Cooling.
Gregory thanked the Warriors; Kastor, who knows something of life’s challenges, reminded the Warriors “...the moments that challenge us the most define who we are...”; and Col. Cooling thanked those veterans who came before today’s Warriors for the respect and homage they now receive compared to those who served in Vietnam. He also tried to give the non-military audience some insight into the kind of young men and women who make up the modern military through examples of their leadership, honor and intelligence.
“Seventy percent of our Marines put their lives on hold for four years for public service. That’s the kind of people they are.”
Operation Mountain Freedom - February 1-5, 2010
On February 1st through 5th we will be welcoming our Wounded Warriors to Mammoth Mountain for the thrills of Operation Mountain Freedom. Activities will include welcome dinner, ski and snowboard lessons, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, multi-media presentation by athlete and motivational speaker EJ Poplawski and more!
We are so thrilled to help our Wounded Warriors and their families learn that there are no limits to what they can do if they set their minds to it. We are here to help them meet their goals, whether they want to play on a snowboard or become a Parlympic Contender in Biathlon. We firmly believe that no one should be left behind simply because of a disability!
Please join us for EJ Poplawski, on Wednesday, February 3rd at 8:00 PM at The Westin Monache - More information here. You-Tube video of Ej Poplawski, athlete, amputee, X-Games participant and motivational speaker!
Paralympic Nordic Camp
January 8-10, 2010
Our First Nordic Camp - A Paralympic Experience - was tons of fun! We had athletes learning to cross country ski both sitting down and standing up!
Volunteers attended clinics led by Paralympic Medalist Candace Cable, Tamarack Instructor Jane Lester and Coach Marc Mast. Our athletes joined us Saturday and Sunday for two gloriously sunny days of cross country skiing around the Lower Lakes Basin. We are all so excited about our new and growing adaptive Nordic program.
Special thanks to all the volunteers and local businesses that helped make this event such a success, especially Ueli and the crew at Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center. » Pictures
Friday-Sunday, January 8-10, 2010
Paralympic Nordic Camp
DSES and Paralympic Sport Mammoth Lakes invite YOU to join us for a Paralympic Experience with Coach Marc Mast at Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center for athletes with physical or visual disabilities.
Why Nordic Skiing? Because Nordic Skiing:
» Read More Island Extravaganza Raises Thousands
For People With Disabilities
Despite the raging snowstorm outside and the threat of power loss, more than 400 people headed to Canyon Lodge for Island Extravaganza on Saturday, December 12, 2009.
It was the most people ever, according to Disabled Sports Director Kathy Copeland. “I was blown away by the people who came,” she said.
Donors were overwhelmingly generous and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra auctioned and raffled over 275 items to raise money for its adaptive programs. The grand raffle prize of an island trip for two went to Dennis Linn of Westlake Village. » Read More
Island Extravaganza at Canyon Lodge
Saturday, December 12th - 6pm until midnight
The biggest and best party of the year to benefit Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra!
You won't want to miss this awesome party.
» Read More
Booky Joint Fund Raiser Auction & Weekend
Another Creative Way to Raise Funds for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra: Our fabulous friends at the Booky Joint have a rare and signed copy of the biography of Jill Kinmont Boothe, who became a paraplegic after a ski accident. Her story became famous through the movie "Other Side of the Mountain." Jill's original art is shown throughout the book as well.
Visit the Booky Joint and put in a bid for this out-of-print book today! Located in the VONS shopping center by Minaret Cinemas. Call for more details 760.934.5023
Booky Joint annual weekend fundraiser December 12-13 with 10 percent of all sales going to DSES. » Read More
Welcome Back Party - Saturday, November 14, 2009
5:00pm - 7:00pm at Woollywood
It's that time of year again!! We're gearing up for a big season and want to kick it off with our annual welcome back party for volunteers and DSES friends. Join us for appetizers, catch up with old friends and meet new ones! All New and Returning volunteers are welcome. » Party Flyer
Second Chance Thrift Shop Opening Day
Wednesday, October 14 at 10am - 126 Old Mammoth Road at the Mammoth Mall by Chart House and Good Life Cafe!
Our latest adventure has begun with the Second Chance Thrift Shop that will benefit DSES. All proceeds will support outdoor adventure, and the shop will allow our students to get valuable work experience as well. We're taking donations now!
Open Wednesday thru Sunday, 10am-6pm. 760-924-2474 » Read More
Eastside Velo Velociraptor 508 Team:
1st Place! - Benefits DSES
October 3-5, 2009. Our team placed first in the 4 man relay race of the Furnace Creek 508 race 3 & 4 and raised $3200 for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra in doing so. An amazing performance and we congratulate Jeff Byberg, Jim Pettigrew, Steve Schmunk, Dave DeVries and their coach Timmer Vadheim for their performance. The race is certainly a challenge. The title is your first clue- 508 miles from Southern California to Furnace Creek and back, riding through the desert, the night and as it turned out the worst headwinds in the history of the event.
Dave (Strong Man) DeVries took two legs of the event in fierce headwinds that at one point had him down to 70 miles in 7 hours on the flats! A record number of racers abandoned the event, but our boys were steadfast and made it in 34 hours and 17 minutes to take first place in the 4 man relay (50+ average age). They were in fact the second 4 person relay overall. A season of preparation under the experienced and caring eye of Timmer Vadheim paid off and Eastside Velo broke new ground in a very grueling endurance event which benefited Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. Congratulations!
June Lake Beach Day is a Huge Success!
The summer at DSES has been full of exciting lessons and meeting new friends. Our Summer Program Manager, Laurel Martin, just wasn’t willing to let summer slip by without one last hurrah. She teamed up with Inyo-Mono Association for the Handicapped (IMAH) and asked them to join our local and visiting students for a great day of kayaking and swimming on August 20, 2009 at June Lake Beach.
» Read More
Pedal~Paddle 2009: Tons of Triumphs!
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra has grown accustomed to making dreams come true for people with disabilities. Sometimes though, the magic is so special and the success so overwhelming that the team just stands back and marvels!
Like many DSES programs, Pedal~Paddle grew at an unprecedented rate this year. With students, family members, volunteers and staff, the group totaled over 30 for a weekend of camping, cycling, fishing, boating and kayaking on August 15-16, 2009. » Read More
Eunice Shriver poured heart, soul
into helping disabled
The ground work for much of what DSES does was laid by Eunice Schriver.
» Read More in USA Today
Sierra Cycle Challenge Raises $15,000
July 25-27, 2009 - The third annual Sierra Cycle Challenge benefitting Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra just rolled back into town after conquering an amazing three day ride. Eleven riders climbed over 9,000 feet in elevation to prove, "If we can do this, we can do anything"!
Temperatures soared and spirits were high while this group traveled from Mammoth's Footloose Sports parking lot to Falls Creek Ranch, a private water ski lake beyond Benton, where John and Debbie Eilts hosted a hot and tired group in their magical oasis. They even had friend and massage therapist, Tom McGrale, do some recovery work on the crew under a beautiful wisteria canopy.
» Read More
Sierra Cycle Challenge - July 25-27, 2009
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is excited to announce our 3rd Annual Sierra Cycle Challenge. July 25th - 27th 2009.
This is a glorious 3-day supported ride through the Eastern Sierra.
Gorgeous scenery, breathtaking climbs and descents, natural hot springs and massages at camp sites are just a few of the treats in store for you.
Participants have a fundraising goal for this awesome 3 day adventure of $1000.00 for individuals; $3500 for team of 4.
We are offering a prize for the top fundraiser!
» Read More
June Lake Triathlon - DSES Benefits
On Saturday, July 11, 2009, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra had the honor of coordinating all of the volunteers at this year’s June Lake Triathlon, which benefits our organization.
The fantastic raffle brought in over $3,500 this year! Claudette Dunn, mother of our student, Kevin Dunn, won the grand raffle prize of a 5 day trip to Mexico! Even more important is the recognition and accolades we receive in this premiere athletic event. There were three adaptive athletes this year also.
THANK YOU to over 110 volunteers who helped us out before and during the race. It was a beautiful day and an awesome race.
June Lake Triathlon - DSES Benefits
Saturday, July 11, 2009
with pre-event festivities on Friday, July 10.
DSES will benefit from this fund raising event. Volunteers are needed. Call or email Christine for more information 760 934-0791
» Read Triathlon Details Here
2009 July 4 Weekend Fund Raisers
We could not have succeeded without all of you who volunteered your time and energy to these numerous causes! THANK YOU ALL!
DSES Yard Sale - July 3, 2009
126 Twin Lakes Lane (just off Canyon Boulevard)
For more information call (760) 934-0791
- Set Up - Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 and 2 - all day long!
- Yard Sale - Friday, July 3 - 6:30 am--early bird special!
Ken Klein-Volunteer of the Year 2009
As our Chair of the Board of Directors and a committed volunteer all year long, Ken has given so much of himself to this program! We honor his dedication, support and strong back.
Ken has been skiing Mammoth Mountain for 20 years since being assigned to the Naval Dental Clinic in Long Beach. He retired from the Navy in 1993 and practiced Periodontics in Los Alamitos until fully retiring from dental practice in 2004. This coincided with his wife, Susie's, retirement from teaching 2nd grade, and they moved from Huntington Beach to Mammoth Lakes that summer.
He has been involved as a volunteer with disabled sports programs since 1994 and is a PSIA Level 1 Certified Adaptive (Bi-ski) instructor. In addition to being a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, Ken has an MBA (Healthcare) from UC Irvine. He has a passion for outdoor activities and thoroughly enjoys biking, hiking, running and skiing in the beautiful Eastern Sierra.
Springtacular 2009 Was A Great Success
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) held its 4th annual Springtacular April 21-24. Forty-two participants with cognitive and developmental disabilities spent four full days at Mammoth Mountain skiing, snowboarding, and enjoying a host of other exciting activities. Most guests came from Mammoth and Bishop, but some traveled from as far away as Santa Monica.
» Read More - Pictures
Annual Springtacular - April 21-24, 2009
The Annual DSES Springtacular takes place April 21-24, 2009. This special event is designed for participants of all ages with cognitive disabilities. It includes four days of skiing or snowboard instruction, lift tickets, equipment rentals, lunches, a banquet and participation ceremony, a commemorative t-shirt, and LOTS of FUN!
» Read More
Slide-A-Thon: Amazing Day on Mammoth Mountain
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra's 1st annual Slide-a-Thon on April 5, 2009 was a huge success, with 95 participants raising more than $34,000!
The bluebird day was gorgeous, and spirits were high, as teams and individuals filed through the check-in line wearing elaborate costumes. The "Hot Flashes" from the Mammoth Lakes Women's Club won best costume and received a magnum of champagne from Side Door Café.
» Read More - Check out the Video
Slide-a-thon Fund Raiser - April 5, 2009
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is taking our FUNdraising out on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain on Sunday, April 5th. Be an individual or join a team to raise money for our worthy program. Start your own fundraising page through Firstgiving.com and make it easy for your friends, family and co-workers to support your efforts.
You will be rewarded! You score an all-day lift ticket, an event T-shirt and lunch while doing a great thing for others. Individuals: Raise a minimum of $200 Teams of five: Raise a minimum of $1,000. Fun events and challenges throughout the day! Call Christine at 760.934.0791 to register TODAY!
» Read More
» Registration Form
» Liability Release Form
Terry Smutney Memorial Fund
Terry Smutney 1956-2009
Terry Smutney, long-time resident of McGee Creek and prominent volunteer and lover of the Eastern Sierra, passed away on Monday, March 23, 2009 from lung cancer and other complications of Gulf War Syndrome. Terry was a good friend to many people in our community, and he will be sorely missed and fondly remembered.
Terry served as a medic in the Army for many years and in many battles. He was permanently affected by chemical exposure in Desert Storm. Though his body was broken, his enduring spirit persevered. Serving others was his primary occupation over these last years. He was a valued volunteer of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, the Sunrise Rotary Club and the Mobility Commission.
» Read More
Mammoth Mono Ski Madness
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is hosting the 3rd Annual Mammoth Mono Ski Madness Camp on March 17-19, 2009. This two and a half day event brings skiers with disabilities who ski in sit-down mono skis to Mammoth.
Participants explore new terrain, learn new techniques and are challenged with new skills and adventures. Disabled Sports instructors teach and assist as the skiers enjoy the mountain. Everyone socializes during complimentary lunches and dinner on Tuesday.
» Read More
BOEING gives $30,000 Crystal Vision Grant to DSES
Volunteer Susie Klein, Volunteer and Board President of DSES Ken Klein, and Executive Director Kathy Copeland receive award and a $30,000 check from Ken Burdeno on behalf of Boeing California
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) is one of seven community organizations to receive special grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing California.
Special Crystal Vision Award grants in the amount of $250,000 were funded by employee contributions. Mammoth's DSES received $30,000 at a special luncheon in Long Beach, California, on February 13, 2009.
"We are extremely grateful for this huge grant," said DSES Executive Director Kathy Copeland.
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, the United States Adaptive Recreation Center and the United States Veterans Initiative will each expand their assistance to those who have suffered physical injuries, including returning military veterans.
DSES has earmarked the money for the 2009 winter and summer Disabled Sports Wounded Warrior Projects.
The ECF grant program began in 1990 as a way to provide seed money to community organizations hoping to launch new and innovative programs beyond their normal operations. "ECF has given almost $5 million in Crystal Vision grants to nearly 150 agencies over these past years," ECF board chairperson Mary Ann Scanlon announced during the check presentation ceremony.
WOW, What a Wounded Warrior Week!
February 2-6, 2009, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra pulled out all the stops for this fifth Wounded Warrior Project event at Mammoth Mountain. There were so many "firsts" on this trip: private flights from San Diego, our first group from Camp Pendelton, our first female Wounded Warrior, a huge contingent of snowboarders, and a family of seven!
» Read More - Pictures
Wounded Warriors - Operation High Altitude
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Welcomes Back Wounded Warriors to Mammoth - The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project will be returning to Mammoth Mountain on February 2-6, 2009. 15 soldiers will learn how to adapt their "newly-altered bodies" to participate in a wide variety of winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, dog sledding and cross country skiing. These fifteen soldiers have sustained an array of disabilities while serving for duty, including limb amputations, severe burns, nerve injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).
» Read More
DSES Orange Crush Race Team
Nick Souza, Terry Smutney, Doug Baysore, Rick Dodson, Kathy Copeland, Katherine Landau, Lee Aaker, Zach Ergish, Jill Grahek
We're the brightest and best team out there!
DSES's team for this year's Village Championship Race Series!
8 series races starting January 13, 2009. Skiers, Snowboarders & Adaptive.
Ski PE Update...A HUGE Success!
Thanks to the 47 volunteers who have committed to our 10 week Ski PE program, 37 local students are out on the hill skiing, snowboarding and bi-skiing.
We're thrilled with the growth of this increasingly important program for students who do so well on the hill.
Mammoth Mountain is the great equalizer!
Island Extravaganza HUGE!
Grand prize raffle winners
Nancy Davidson
and Larry Storti
WOW! What a party…what a success. Our event was hugely attended…full to the brim and everyone had a fantastic time. People raved about the food, the silent auction and the raffle …and how about the look and feel of the place??!! We’ve set a standard that will be a challenge to upstage…thanks to Scott Corridan and his connections and flair! All the volunteers did a splendid job keeping everything flowing smoothly and thank you Lisa R for keeping us on track.
Christine my hat goes off to you for all the planning and organization of staff and volunteers. We raised $58,000! We had such great exposure to such a large portion of the community…that that is worth a ton in itself! I’m still in euphoria from such a wonderful feeling of love and support from soooooo many people.
We are amazed by the generosity and outpooring of love received over these last weeks from volunteers, our community and hundreds of donors. Many of you fall into all of these categories! THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this happen! Kathy Copeland.
» Read More - Pictures
Island Extravaganza December 7
Sunday, December 7, 6-10 pm at Little Eagle
Tickets on sale at DSES and the Booky Joint - For questions, comments and donations please contact DSES at 760.934.0791» Read More
Booky Joint Sale to Benefit DSES
Dave and Cara Leonard, owners of the Booky Joint, are kind enough to donate 10% of all sales on Friday and Saturday December 5th & 6th to Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra! Please show your support by doing your holiday shopping on those special days.
Don't forget--you can buy your Island Extravaganza tickets there too!
DSES grows snowboarding program
"We put a lot of work this year into developing our snowboard program," said Cara Leonard, Training Manager for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES). Leonard noted that their snowboard trainer, Amanda Linson, was instrumental in designing and promoting the snowboard-specific early season training. "She is certified and has been a volunteer for several years," said Leonard.
DSES has seen yearly increases in the number of local snowboarding students from the High School and Middle School Ski P.E. program. The majority of these students have cognitive or learning disabilities, such as autism and downs syndrome. In addition to this, many out-of-town guests have begun to transfer over from skiing to snowboarding.
» Read More
Volunteer Kick-Off Party was AWESOME!
100 volunteers, new and old, celebrated the start of a new season with us on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at the Woollywood Building! Early season training is fantastic! Volunteers are coming out in droves to be a part of this amazing organization. We just want to say THANK YOU for giving your precious time and energy to support people with disabilities.
New DSES Uniforms On Order - Donations Needed
It's finally time for new uniforms and we need your help!! After five years in our current second hand duds (thank you Mammoth Mountain) we have ordered gorgeous new jackets and soft shells. Our new gear sports DSES colors and our famous logo. We will have better recognition on the slopes and our on-hill image will finally catch up to the professionalism of the organization. Plus, all our volunteers and instructors will stay warm and toasty and dry!!
Mountain Uniforms, a Tahoe based company, has been extremely easy to work with and has given us a great "non-profit" discount, BUT we're not there yet. To pay the balance on the uniforms and have them ready in November we need $14,500.
We are accepting all donations. Come by the office to check out the samples OR visit www.mountainuniforms.com to see uniforms for other ski schools.
DSES at TROUTSTOCK
TROUTSTOCK occurs August 28-September 1. Troutstock is a family-friendly event which celebrates fishing (and “all things trout”) in the Eastern Sierra. Previously DSES has assisted with staffing of this event. This year The Town Of Mammoth Lakes has contributed a generous donation to DSES. In return we are organizing all volunteers for this event.
We would like to provide 100 volunteers to fill various positions in and around Mammoth Lakes from Thursday evening, August 27th through Monday, September 1st. Most shifts are approximately 4 hours in duration and offer some fun opportunities. Volunteer job descriptions are available here. Please contact Maggie Palchak at or 760.934.0791 to sign-up as a DSES volunteer for Trout Stock. More information about TROUTSTOCK is available at www.troutstock.com.
Sierra Cycle Challenge
Sunday, July 27-Tuesday, July 29 - Save the Date! Start training and fundraising for the Sierra Cycle Challenge today. Help us help those with disabilities. Mammoth Lakes to Benton Hot Springs to Grant Lake and back to Mammoth. Amazing food, friends and views along the way!
» Check out this flyer
» Information Sheet with Map
Web Page - MS Word file - Adobe PDF file
» Donation Request Letter
MS Word file - Adobe PDF file
» Pledge Sheet
MS Excel file - Adobe PDF file
June Lake Triathlon - DSES Benefits
Saturday, July 12, 2008
with pre-event festivities on Friday, July 11.
DSES will benefit from this fund raising event. Volunteers are needed. Call or email Christine for more information 760 934-0791
» Read Triathlon Details Here
Operation High Altitude Wrapup
Incredible attitudes rivaled the high altitude at the latest Disabled Sports Wounded Warrior Project event. At the urging of last winter’s Wounded Warriors, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra took their show on the road and outside for the first-ever campout with our heroes from the Balboa Naval Medical Hospital.
Returning snowboarder, Josh Hooker, brought up six other warriors to show them the beautiful Sierra. All of the participants shared some striking similarities; they were all from the Army and all amazing athletes.
» Read More - Pictures
Volunteer of the Year 2008 - Sherri Rottenbacher
DSES is thrilled to announce our fifth annual Volunteer of the Year: Sherri Rottenbacher. Not only does Sherri have unmatched enthusiasm as an instructor, but graces DSES with her many other talents including: fundraising, grant writing, training and singing. For Sherri, volunteering is a family event – we often see her volunteering with her daughter Jessica. We even saw a three generation effort when Sherri, Jessica and Sherri’s mother, Ellen Jensen, put together marvelous displays for our entry area. Thanks Ladies!
When she’s not volunteering for DSES, Sherri can be found SCUBA diving and directing musicals and plays for children; or perhaps you saw her run the 2000 Los Angeles Marathon. Motivated and inspired by our students and their caregivers, Sherri excels at helping people redefine limitations as challenges. Attending school herself, Sherri has been inspired by DSES and our students to pursue a degree in special education. Way to go Sherri!
End Of Season Party & Awards - May 3rd
End-of-Season Party & Awards (even though we're still open until the end!), Saturday, May 3rd @ 3pm. We're all going for a run or two together and coming back in to DSES for a pre-Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. Come and celebrate our best season ever! Let's have at least 40 of us in DSES jackets out on the hill that afternoon--please come!
3rd Annual Springtacular Huge Success!!
The 2008 Springtacular may be over, but we'll all cherish great memories from this amazing event. 70 star athletes spent four days on beautiful Mammoth Mountain and exceeded all of their goals. Cold temperatures and breezy days didn't stop these stars from taking run after run. A big thank you to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for supporting this life-changing event for all of the students and more than 100 volunteers. We're already looking forward to next year's event-the 34th year of magic on the slopes with special athletes.
» Check out these pictures
3rd Annual Springtacular
The 3rd Annual DSES Springtacular takes place April 21-24, 2008. This event provides opportunities for students to learn and improve their skiing or snowboarding skills. The valuable social aspects of the event help students develop their personal skills.
» Read More
Life in The Lodges - Make Your Bid!
Beautiful 3 Bedroom, 3-1/2 Bath, Townhouse available for four nights.
Make an offer on this rental or tell your friends!!
DSES gets to keep the cash!
Normally renting for $1500.00
Valid the following dates:
Wednesday-Sunday, April 9-13 or April 23-27
» Read More
2nd Annual Mammoth Mono Ski Madness
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosted the 2nd Annual Mammoth Mono Ski Madness Camp on March 17-19, 2008. This two and a half day event brought skiers with disabilities who ski in sit-down mono skis to Mammoth. Two local skiers, Terry Smutney and Jeremy McGee, and a recent Wounded Warrior, Travis Strong, joined in the fun. Allan Grimsby traveled from Tahoe and Nahu Gebreegziabher came from Long Beach for some sliding. Bill Bowness, coach and Professional Ski Instructors of America National Tech Team Member, challenged them with new skills and adventures. Disabled Sports instructors taught and assisted as the skiers enjoyed the spring-like weather all over the mountain.
» Read More - Pictures
Operation Mountain Freedom
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosted their biggest Wounded Warrior Project yet, with 10 participants plus numerous family members. All of these service members have sustained severe injuries, and they are healing through the freedom and exhilaration of skiing and snowboarding. As usual, the whole town of Mammoth Lakes generously supported this program, as did DSUSA!
» Read More - Pictures
» More Pictures
Camp del Corazon
March 8-9 - These heart patients love Mammoth and DSES. 36 students total, 9 at a time. Call the office to volunteer your help.
Casa Colina
March 2-3 - We have got lots of old friends and some new ones too coming up from LA. Nine students digned up: six skiers, two snowboarders and one bi-skier. Call the office to volunteer your help.
50 New Volunteers call DSES Home
The 2007-2008 ski and snowboard season is in full swing, and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is training dozens of new volunteers, so we can say, "YES!" to 1,600 lessons this year.
New Volunteers learn about adaptive equipment, disabilities and the American Teaching System in order to better serve their students. Thank you to all of our new volunteers this season!
» Read More
Island Extravaganza a Huge Success!
The 2007 Island Extravaganza will go down in history as one of the best parties in Mammoth! Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra raised $57,000 in a fun evening of dancing, fantastic food and charitable giving.
More than 300 guests passed through tiki torches and entered into a fully transformed ski lodge complete with tropical flowers and hula skirted tables, overflowing with silent auction gifts and raffle giveaways. One lucky couple, Jim and Liz Cox, even won a trip to Hawaii!
» Read More
DSES Volunteer Kick Off a Huge Success!
More than 75 new and returning volunteers kicked off the 2007-2008 season with a fantastic dinner and a lot of fun. Kathy Copeland, Executive Director, gave a moving talk about what it is to volunteer for this worthy organization and how it really does change the lives of those with disabilities.
» Read More
2nd Annual DSES Pedal-Paddle
The 2nd Annual Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Pedal~Paddle, August 27 & 28, 2007 surpassed all expectations. This two-day event is designed for participants with physical disabilities. Four participants spent the two days enjoying the perfect weather while kayaking, fishing and hand cycling.
» Read More
Fall Century Ride
The Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Fall Century Cycling Team, lead by Volunteer and Hand Cyclist, Terry Smutney, rode a glorious 80 miles on Saturday, September 8, 2007. Terry has Gulf War Syndrome which requires him to cycle using a hand crank cycle. His pit crew, Robin Conners, Anita Haenni, Susie Klein, Steve Morra and Nick Souza supported Terry's efforts to ride the 80 miles of the 100 miles of the High Sierra Fall Century Bike Ride.
» Read More
Sierra Cycle Challenge: Something for Everyone!
The first annual Sierra Cycle Challenge had something for every type of cyclist. There was 8,000 feet of climbing, cycling through beautiful forests and banding together for an incredible cause. The fun on the bike was only rivaled by the good times off the bike.
The three-day ride, July 29-31, raised funds for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, and it also raised awareness in our community about serving those with disabilities. First, a huge thank you goes out to our riders who committed their time, energy and fundraising efforts for DSES: Kathy Copeland, Ken Klein, Terry Smutney, Nick Souza, Allegra Stevens, Greg Hadfield, Anne Ganse, Alicia Kuppens, Mark Jankowski, and missing from the ride but with us in spirit, Mary Walker. These riders had amazing SAG support from Susie Klein and Anita Haenni, who were at the ready with water, snacks, a smile and cold towels at the end of the day!
» Read More
June Lake Triathlon - July 6-7 - Benefits DSES
2007 welcomes the return of the June Lake Triathlon. Originally started in the late 1980's the race has a history of ingenuity and success, Mountain Fitness and the High Sierra Triathlon Club bring back this unique event to the Eastern Sierra. In our inaugural year, we have invited Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra to be our beneficiary.
» Read More
Summer Fun In The Eastern Sierra
Our summer programs are better than ever this year! We're creating custom packages for groups and individuals to make sure you experience the best that the Eastern Sierra has to offer. Students will use all of their abilities to get outside and live the adventure!
» Read More
Boeing Grant Supports Teen Program
DSES is thrilled to announce a grant of $5,000 from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing California. This grant is helping to fund the Teen Volunteer Program, Students Helping Students, which trains our local teens to become "volunteers for life!" We are hiking, biking, climbing, zipping, boating, fishing and loving life in the Eastern Sierra! If you'd like to get involved please contact us at 760.934.0791
Cooper Terrell Senior Graduation Award
Laurel Martin and Kathy Copeland present Cooper Terrell with Disabled Sports’ very first Graduation Award.
The Special Disney Gift Package features all sorts of Pirates of the Caribbean fun stuff that really made Cooper SMILE! We also presented him with “Learning Life Skills” gifts. Congrats to Cooper!
Volunteer of the Year 2007 - Terry Smutney
We're thrilled to announce this year's Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Volunteer of the Year, Terry Smutney!
Terry has become an incredible asset to our program! We just can't imagine the program without him! Terry first came to Disabled Sports with the goal of learning how to mono ski. He returned from the first Gulf War with serious injuries, was dealing with severe pain, and he was on many medications. Not surprisingly, he didn't have a big smile on his face.
Now, none of us can imagine that person. Terry's guts and determination have inspired us all. He has become an amazing mono skier passing his PSIA Level 1 mono ski certification this past season and he is an outstanding hand cyclist too!
» Read More
Operation Mountain Sports - June 4-8
Wounded Warriors Head To Mammoth For Summer Fun - Through the cooperation of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, the Disabled Sports USA Wounded Warrior Project and generous donations from the Mammoth Lakes community, disabled soldiers from four different forces including the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines will be spending time trying their hand at various summer activities in the Eastern Sierra for Operation Mountain Sports.
» Read More
» Schedule of Activities
» Wrap Up and Thank You Mammoth
Mammoth Community Foundation Donation
On May 16, 2007, Dawn Vereuck and Brooke McKenna presented Kathy Copeland and Terry Smutney a check for $1500 from the Mammoth Community Foundation.
» Read More
Cure Autism Now at the Rose Bowl
In one incredible Saturday under blue Southern California skies on April 22, 2007, the folks at Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks led over 10,000 people on a fundraising walk that brought in $1.2 MILLION dollars! Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra was there to help and meet new people.
» Read More
Congratulations Newly Certificated Volunteers
Congratulations to our volunteers who have successfully completed the following certifications through the Professional Ski Instructors of America!
Amanda Linson: Level 1 Snowboard
Doug Baysore: Level 1 Adaptive Skiing
Jenn Long: Level 1 Cognitive Disabilites and Visually Impaired
Scott Kantor: Level 3 Alpine Skiing
Terry Smutney: Level 1 Adaptive Skiing
Wally Hofmann: Level 1 Adaptive Skiing & Level 1 Teaching and Technical
Thank you for making our program even more professional with your certifications!
2nd Annual Springtacular Huge Success
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra would like to extend a Huge Thanks to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and all the volunteers and instructors who helped to make the 2007 Springtacular such a huge success. It was an amazing week of outstanding skiing and snowboarding, with all of our 60 "stars" making incredible progress on the hill.
» Read More
Mammoth Mono Ski Madness - March 21-23, 2007
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosted its first ever mono-ski camp in March at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. "Mammoth Mono-ski Madness" hosted a strong group of adaptive sit-down skiers from March 21-23, ranging in age from 11 to 59. This camp was made possible by a Quality of Life grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation. (Please see related story here.)
A group of five mono-skiers were led by a dozen volunteer instructors from DSES and Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) clinician and demo team member, Bill Bowness. The group covered the slopes for three fun-filled days with thrills, skills, drills and even some spills.
» Read More - Pictures
DSES Receives Quality Of Life Grant
The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) announced March 7, 2007 that Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra has been awarded a $2500 Quality of Life grant. The CRF awarded a total of $717,404 in Quality of Life grants to 90 nonprofit organizations around the world. Since 1999, when the Quality of Life program was conceived by the late Dana Reeve as a way for the CRF to help improve the day-to-day health and well-being of those living with paralysis, 1,163 grants totaling $9,220,980 have been awarded.
» Read More
Wounded Warriors Come To Mammoth
January 29-February 2, 2007, Mammoth Mountain and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosted six service members who have recently returned from Iraq to three full days of adaptive sports here at Mammoth! Working in conjunction with the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra's Executive Director, Kathy Copeland, rolled out the red carpet to five military personnel who have sustained various injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan ~ to show them there definitely is still lots of fun to be had! Skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling were the main activities for the event.
» Wrap Up and Thanks.
» News Story and Pictures
» Rotary Luncheon Speech by Colonel Dave Hall
» Friendship, courtesy and compassion by Ken Yegan
» It Takes A Village by Diane Eagle.
Island Extravaganza Huge Success!!
The 4th Annual Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Island Extravaganza on December 10, 2006 was a HUGE success!!! This year the event was held at a new venue, Little Eagle. It was spacious but quickly filled with all the wonderful supporters of Disabled Sports (DSES). The island décor and everyone's tropical attire really made the night. Soul Reason played great music and the Little Keiki Hula Dancers danced their fun hula presentation. The island buffet presented by Chef Manny Limon was scrumptious with roast pork loin, mahi mahi and plenty of side dishes to please everyone's tastes.
The night was filled with many wonderful silent auction items to bid on, live auction action to keep things lively, a costume contest, a hula contest, dancing and raffles. DSES friends truly came out for our event with over 300 people partying and enjoying the evening's festivities. Paws 4 Healing came with ten therapy dogs fully decked out in Hawaiian attire! Congratulations to Susan Minor for winning the grand raffle prize….the Hawaiian vacation for two. » Pictures Here.
THANK YOU to everyone who supported the event ~ by attending and by contributing to make this event so fun and profitable. Rick and Shelley Taylor and Andrew Gillespie hosted the banquet so that ALL the money brought in went directly to the adaptive program and getting students with disabilities out on the slopes. We are flattered by everyone's support and happily deposited $47,000 in the bank! A special thank you to Mammoth Mountain for their continued generous support. » Read The Donor List
Peak To Peak To Peak
Our one and only Ken Klein successfully tackled a huge undertaking: the Peak to Peak to Peak! Creating his own bike-athon, he rode 700 miles and raised $5000 to split between his two favorite adaptive sports programs. Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra and the U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center in Big Bear will divide the money that was donated in honor of Ken’s crazy stamina by people from all over the country.
» Read More
A Word From The Executive Director
This has been a summer full of new experiences and explorations for Disabled Sports! Thanks to Diana Proemm, our Summer Program Manager, we have tried out many new venues and made some great connections with local outfits who have helped us expand our horizons. It feels like Stu and Sue at Caldera Kayaks have adopted us and it's great to be part of their family! Barrett's Outfitters generously let us use their pontoon boat for fishing and just having fun cruising around Lake Mary. The kids loved going to play with the dogs and puppies from Jim Ouimet's Mammoth Dog Team. Our rock climbing experience graduated from the "Rock" at Mammoth Mountain to real rock with the expert guidance of Doug Nidever's Sierra Mountain Guides. We also added therapeutic horse back riding to our menu with the help of Carol and Freedom in Motion.
We had a great turn out of volunteers and many of them were new to the program ....WELCOME to all of you newbie's and thank you all of our loyal volunteers for making the summer program happen so flawlessly.
All Smiles For The Fall High Sierra Century
The High Sierra Fall Century on September 9th has come and gone, but the memory of this awesome ride still sticks in my mind. The Eastern Sierra is a road bikers’ mecca. I had never road cycled before I moved here over a year ago. I bought a cycle and made myself a goal of riding my first century.
» Read More
Paddle & Pedal Event - August 28-29, 2006
DSES’ first annual Paddle and Pedal was a successful event and Terry Smutney came up with this fun idea. The goal of the camp was to introduce people with disabilities, in particular people with physical impairments to new adventures. The two day event included hand-cycling, kayaking, camping and fishing.
» Read More - Pictures
Sierra Cycle Challenge
On August 13th five cyclists pedaled from Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra at the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge and headed for Grant Lake on the first leg of the inaugural Sierra Cycle Challenge. Riders included DSES Intern, Kari Shoemake, EL and Pat Smoogen, Ken Klein, and Terry Smutney on a Quickie hand-cycle.
» Read More
Welcome New Board Of Directors Members
DSES would like to welcome Karilyn Myers, Allegra Stevens and E.L. Smoogen to the Board of Directors. Karliyn is a Physical Therapist and manages the Rehabilitation Department at Mammoth Hospital. Allegra, is a CPA, an avid cyclist and helped Kathy with DSES's first budget...Her enthusiastic attention to detail will keep us running lean and mean. E.L., our 2005 Volunteer of the Year continues to overwhelm us with his commitment to our program. There is nothing that E.L. doesn't do! Welcome aboard to all! Thanks to all former board members, Phil Cardan, Robin Conners, Racheal Georgeson and Jeremy McGhee. We'll miss you!
» Read More about our Board
Disabled Sports On A Roll
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) announced at the end of July, 2006 that Eastside Velo Cycling Club recently donated $500 towards the DSES Adaptive Cycling Program. Last year the Eastside Velo Cycling Club along with the Sierra Cycling Foundation donated a Quickie Shark hand-cycle to the program. This spring Fred Liebel from Athletes Helping Athletes donated four additional hand-cycles to the Cycling Program.
» Read More
2006 Fourth of July Parade Pictures
» 2006 Fourth of July Parade Pictures
Successful and Record Breaking Season!
DSES, along with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has broken many records. DSES served 1342 students this winter season.
WOW!! What a year! This year DSES had 22 volunteers and staff pass instructor certification exams with the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).
» Read More In Our June Newsletter (PDF)
Cinco De Mayo End of the Season Party!
DSES volunteers gathered May 5, 2006 at Woollywood to celebrate the tremendously successful 2005-2006 season with fellowship and awards.
Anita Haenni walked away with the Volunteer of Year Award. Other awards given out were Ken Yegan; Instructor of the Year, Thalia Hanson and Garth Collings as MVPs; Rookies of the Year went to Joe Hatch and Tim Haverly; Ken Klein received Most Adaptable; E.L. Smoogen received Mr. Fix It; Cert Queen went to Maggie Palchak; Moover and Groover went to Greg Hadfield ...
» Read More
2006 Springtacular Great Success
There were 55 "Stars" with butterflies of excitement getting ready to shine brightly during their four day skiing event at the Main Lodge beginning on April 24. Mammoth Mountain and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosted the first annual event designed specifically for people with special needs. Participants traveled from all over California to attend this event, which was started 31 years ago by Mary Cahill.
» Read More
DSES-spreading like wildfire
The word about Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) is out. The nonprofit organization has doubled its number of students every year since it began three years ago, and now the program is bursting at the seams, according to Volunteer Coordinator Diana Proemm.
DSES's April newsletter, Good Vibrations, said it best: "DSES is experiencing some major growing pains!" Their numbers have doubled from last year, with more than 200 lessons in January, and now there are as many people on the waiting list as there are going out on lessons, Proemm said.
» Read More
Volunteer Appreciation Party at Sledz
Volunteers and family gathered at Sledz on April 17, 2006 to have a day of fun.
» Read More
Athletes Helping Athletes and Road Runner Sports
Donate 4 Handcycles
Disable Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) is excited to be offering a multitude of summer activities for people with disabilities. With the addition of cycling to our program, DSES was concerned about not being adequately equipped for people who have limited use of their legs.
When a gentleman by the name of Fred Liebel of Athletes Helping Athletes and Road Runner Sports came into the DSES office and donated four handcycles for the upcoming summer activities, all our dreams came true! The weekly rides in July and August will surely be successful with these handcycles.
A huge THANKS to Fred Liebel for assisting the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Summer Program off to a smooth "rolling" start!
» Read More
Grand Dewey Ski-A-Thon Success
Grant Dewey completed 30 Successful Runs to raise money for DSES on March 31-April 1, 2007 as he once again participated in a Ski-A-Thon fundraiser for The Spina Bifida Foundation & the Disabled Sports USA Eastern Sierra (DSES) at Mammoth Mountain. Many of you generously pledged to support his efforts.
The DSES is the incredible organization that provided Grant the opportunity to learn to ski on a bi-ski two years ago after his doctors told us that regular skiing or snowboarding could completely blow his knee out due to the lack of sensation from his spina bifida. Grant is ecstatic to have a sport where he can be a daredevil without too much risk of injuring his leg.
» Read More
Fleece Contest Successful Fundraiser
DSES just finished off our most recent fundraising event on March 16, and we were able to raise a whopping $8,000!!!! We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of our fabulous volunteers who participated in the contest. Each person who raised $1,000 in donations received a free personalized 1/4 zip orange micro fleece. And the winners are: E.L. Smoogen, Jes Schwartzkopf, Garth Collings, Dot & Don Beck, Ken & Susie Klein, and one anonymous donation. In addition, the person who sold the most logo wear earned 2 free lift passes to Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe. Congratulations Garth! Thanks for selling that logo wear and have a great time at Kirkwood!
Camp del Corazon Weekend Makes Hearts Soar
Thirty kids, ages eight to 13, all with heart ailments, including heart transplants and pacemakers and various other heart defects, attended Camp del Corazon March 11, 2006 on Mammoth Mountain.
Camp del Corazon provided outstanding medical support including a pediatric cardiologist, who was on hand at all times, as well as nurses and nurse practitionser.
» Read More
Blind Clinic
"The thrill of guiding a blind or visually impaired skier comes from opening a door for them to experience freedom." Over the weekend of the 6th-8th January, 2006, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) hosted a vision impairment (VI) ski clinic. The VI clinic was attended by six volunteers over the course of the weekend. They learned the necessary skills to better teach and guide the blind and visually impaired to ski and enjoy this sport we all love so much.
» Read More
Rotary Sponsors Training For DSES Volunteers
Rotary continues to generously support Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. They are sponsoring 3 volunteers, E.L., Terry and Jeremy to go to the “18th Annual Hartford Ski Spectacular” in Breckenridge, CO, December 4-11, 2005. They will attend clinics on the latest technology and methodology on adaptive skiing and snowboarding and come back and share their experiences with the rest of the crew at DSES. Keep up the great work Rotarians!
» Read More
Island Extravaganza Huge Success
This event on December 10, 2005 was extremely fun and successful and we raised our goal of $35,000!!! Lots of local businesses supported the event and donated a bunch of wonderful prizes. Air Tahiti Nui donated the grand raffle prize of a trip to Tahiti that one of our volunteers, Randy O’Connell, won. Our volunteers also donated a lot of time to help get the fundraiser up and running!! Thanks to everyone that helped out in any way -- your gracious support is always appreciated!
» Read More
High Sierra Fall Century Ride - September 2005
The High Sierra Fall Century Ride attracts many of the finest cycling athletes from around the state, and locally, the draw of resident riders is huge. This year is no exception, except for the single-handed efforts of Terry Smutney, the Team Captain of the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra program. His entry in the Fall Century Ride is unique and unprecedented in the race's history: Smutney will enter on a Quickie-Shark hand cycle with pedals.
» Read More
The Bear Facts - Valentine Reserve Hosts First Event
of the 2005 Summer Program!
On July 13, 2005, DSES ventured out of Main Lodge and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for its first summer event in history! Kathy Copeland, Robin Conners, and Dave Owings met with 5 Volunteers and 4 students to take a hike around Valentine Reserve’s 150 acres of protected natural habitat and learn about the California Black Bear from host Leslie Dawson.
» Read More
Rope Tow on Mt. Thalia Float Wins First Place
in 4th of July Parade
On Sunday, July, 3, 2005 we decorated a float along with ”Paws 4 Healing” and all jumped on to ride in the 4th of July Parade. We had a pile of REAL snow, Mt. Thalia, on Gary McCoy’s “Happy Trails” truck with Dorie Bourelle donning old ski clothes and demonstrating how to ride up an antique rope tow.
Students in bi and mono skis, lots more students and families and therapy dogs and owners filled the float. Kathy Copeland, our Director, was the leader of the group as we all waved and wished everyone a Happy 4th.
We were all very exited to be on a REAL float in the parade and we won 1st prize in the motorized category. Thanks go to all the volunteers who helped to make the yard sale and the parade so fun and successful !!!!
» Read More
Wowie Zowie!!! - Yard Sale Grand Success!!!
What is more rewarding, then raising money for a wonderful program!?!?! Every year on the first weekend in July Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) holds their annual yard sale. This year (2005) was our 5th Annual Sale.
We received donations from all over – furniture, appliances, ski equipment, bikes, clothes, electronics, books and the list goes on.
We had a great crew of volunteers helping to set up on Friday ‘til late into the night. Special thanks go to Fran and Adrienne who worked hard to organize things and did a wonderful job directing the set up. Thanks to all the volunteers who pitched in and helped to make the event a huge success.
The next day, Saturday July, 2nd, was a glorious sunny day. We had a lot of customers buying and supporting this fundraising event. By the end of the day, we topped last year’s proceeds of $ 5000.00 by over 25% -- we made an overwhelming, $ 6,300.00. Yippee!!!!!
» Read More
DSES Volunteer End of Season Awards
Cinco de Mayo means more than just celebrating the fifth of May, eating Mexican food, and drinking margaritas. This year (2005), more than 45 volunteers, staff and friends of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) got together at the home of Dr. Phil Cardan and Adriene Alpert to acknowledge everyone's hard work in making the 2004-2005 season so successful.
» Read More
DSES hosts Moonlight BBQ at the Minaret Vista!
On Saturday, April 23, 2005, about 25 people braved the cold to hike from DSES up to the Minaret Vista, for hotdogs and kielbasas. After a presentation from Kathy, where she explained some of the visions for the future, one of our own students, Terry Smutney, told how coming to DSES has given him a new lease on life.
» Read More
Sunrise Rotary Club Makes Donation
President of the Sunrise Rotary Club, Mike Aguirre, presents Kathy Copland, Director of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra with a check for $750. DSES is currently teaching twice as many lessons as last year and having more than twice as much fun!
2005 Camp del Corazon
"Making a difference in the lives of children with heart disease." This is our first group that we taught!! There were 16 'campers'...all with a wide variety of heart diseases! We had a blast; they had a blast...and we can't wait to do it again next year!
» Read More
DSES Receives Quality of Life Grant
The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) announced today that Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra has been awarded a $6,000 Quality of Life grant. CRPF awarded over $928,417 in Quality of Life grants to 117 nonprofit organizations nationwide as part of its Quality of Life program.
» Read More
Eastern Sierra Community Bank Donation
Doug Angelo, Senior Vice President of Eastern Sierra Community Bank presenting Kathy Copeland, Director of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra with a generous donation. This contribution is earmarked to help our local children with disabilities to participate in snow sports. DSES is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to empower their students to maximize both their abilities and opportunities!
Anna Allen's Story
I will never forget the day the doctor told me that he was going to amputate my lower right leg. Six weeks earlier on March 31, 1982, I, Anna Conrad Allen, was buried in a horrific avalanche at Alpine Meadows Ski Area near Lake Tahoe. For five days I was entombed in snow and the debris of the building that was home to most of the employee lockers.
Outside my tomb, rescuers from the Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol, search and rescue and members of the WOOF dog team were frantically searching for any survivors while doing their best to avoid being injured from the additional snowfall that was accumulating. Their searches were successful only in finding victims; seven people ...
» Read More