Notables Expected to Attend Andrea Mead Lawrence Lodge Grand Opening at Pico Mountain this Friday

KILLINGTON, Vt. - Nov. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- ******MEDIA ADVISORY******

Paralympic Champion, State and Killington Officials, Donors, Participants and Volunteers Expected to Attend the Grand Opening Celebration This Friday of the $1.3 Million Andrea Mead Lawrence Lodge at Pico Mountain

WHAT:
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports and the Pico Ski Education Foundation celebrate the grand opening of their new permanent home at Pico Mountain with a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday and public open house Saturday

WHEN:
Official Ribbon Cutting – Friday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.
Public Open House – Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. followed by wine and cheese celebration at 4 p.m.

WHERE:
Andrea Mead Lawrence Lodge, Pico Mountain base village, Killington, Vt.

WHO:
Expected in attendance
Sarah Will – Paralympic Champion with a record-holding 12 gold and one silver medal from four Winter Paralympic Games
Kyla Miller – executive director and operations manager for Bode Miller’s Turtle Ridge Foundation ($100,000 donor)
Leslie Pearce Lawrence – daughter of Andrea Mead Lawrence
Dawna Callahan – manager, Paralympic Sport Outreach and Development, United States Olympic Committee
Mike Solimano – president of Killington Resort
Tracy Taylor – dir. of operations and business development manager of Pico Mountain
Steve Cook – deputy commissioner, State of Vermont Travel & Tourism
Jen Butson – director of communications, State of Vermont Travel & Tourism
Kyle Lewis – director of marketing, Vermont Ski Areas Association
Sarah Neith – director of public affairs, Vermont Ski Areas Association
Erin Fernandez – executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports
Tom Aicher – secretary, Pico Ski Education Foundation
Leadership Donors & Supporters
Representatives from builders Naylor & Breen as well as others who worked on the project

INFORMATION/BACKGROUND:
Vermont Adaptive is the largest non-profit organization in Vermont to offer daily, year-round adaptive sports programs throughout the state to people with disabilities. The Pico Ski Education Foundation is an alpine ski racing non-profit dedicated to providing young athletes with the resources to pursue their dreams. The two organizations partnered in 2011 to build this new state-of-the-art, first of its kind facility at Pico Mountain to address their missions while fulfilling organizational growth needs.

“The outpouring of support for creating this facility has been amazing,” said Erin Fernandez, executive director of Vermont Adaptive. “We can’t even begin to thank everyone who has been involved in the project. We have not quite reached our fundraising goal yet and still need help and donations, but we are making progress on the last $150,000 every day. Most importantly, though, it’s the athletes who will benefit from that generosity and support. Sports are for every body. This building symbolizes that and will provide a training outlet and playground for those athletes to pursue their dreams, whatever those may be.”

The $1.3 million, 6,000 sq. ft. multi-use building is located between the existing Pico Ski Club building and the Pico Base Lodge and is connected to both buildings via outdoor balconies and decks on the second floor. The building is specifically designed by N?B?F Architects of Rutland for participants in Vermont Adaptive’s programs, providing easy accessibility for all, regardless of one’s disability. An elevator connects the first and second floors. Naylor & Breen Builders, Inc., of Brandon, directed construction management.

Connections to the world of ski racing abound in the building including the building’s name, the Andrea Mead Lawrence Lodge, in honor of the Olympic champion and Pico Mountain skiing legend. The “Access for All” elevator and foyer is named in honor of U.S. Paralympian Champion Sarah Will, who also hails from Pico and is a Pico Ski Club alumnus. The Turtle Ridge Foundation, founded by Olympic and World Champion Bode Miller, his sister Kyla and family, has donated $100,000 to the building. The first floor of the building is named the Turtle Ridge Center, home of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.

In addition to the above, other leadership donors have given to many of areas in the building: including The Gibney Family Foundation, Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation, the Vermont Country Store, the University of Vermont Adaptive Club, Karl and June Acker, the family of Nan P. Frymoyer, Dick and Sheila Morse and Family, friends and family members of Pico Ski Club veteran Coach Greg McClallen, and friends and family members of Madi Jaurique.

More than $900,000 has been raised in donations and pledges in about a year and a half. Approximately $150,000 still needs to be raised to complete the fundraising aspect of the project. All donations and pledges made before Nov. 10 will be recognized on the exterior donor wall plaques at the entrance to the building. Leadership donations of $500, $1,000 or more also will be recognized with individual plaques in the donor lobby on the second floor of the lodge.

To donate or to inquire on other naming opportunities, contact Fernandez at 802.353.8129 or director@vermontadaptive.org. To make a secure donation online or to download a pledge sheet, visit www.vermontadaptive.org.

About Vermont Adaptive
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is the largest year-round disabled sports non-profit organization in Vermont offering the most diverse program opportunities and unique, specialized equipment. Vermont Adaptive promotes independence and furthers equality through access and instruction to sports and recreational opportunities including alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports; kayaking, canoeing, sailing, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, tennis, horseback riding, and more. More than 500 volunteers serve clients of all abilities with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities from all over the world in three locations in Vermont - Pico Mountain at Killington; Sugarbush Resort in Warren; and Bolton Valley Resort in Bolton. Summer programs are provided statewide. For more information, visit www.vermontadaptive.org.

About the Pico Ski Education Foundation
The Pico Ski Education Foundation is dedicated to giving young athletes opportunities to pursue their dreams by enabling them to learn sound technical skills, good sportsmanship, healthy competitiveness and an appreciation for the spirit of skiing and for the mountains themselves.  In 1977 Harry “Rebel” Ryan rallied several Rutland area business owners to support local athletes competing in elite regional and national events. Since that time, the Foundation has offered annual scholarships to the Junior Olympics, elite regional events and summer ski camp scholarships. In addition, the Foundation provides funding necessary to run safe and well-equipped races at Pico. For more information, visit www.picoskifoundation.org.