Disabled Sports USA Far West (Disabled Sports) announced today that the organization has bestowed its second annual Citizen of the Year Award on Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings.
The award recognizes an individual for their outstanding support of Disabled Sports and the organization’s mission. Through their generosity and commitment, the recipient has been instrumental in changing the lives of people with disabilities and especially service members disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan who participate in Disabled Sports’ programs.
Since its inception in 1967, Disabled Sports had provided adaptive ski and snowboard instruction at its home base mountain, Alpine Meadows. Last year the organization expanded to serve students at sister resort, Squaw Valley.
The program has thrived at Squaw due to the support of Wirth who personally championed the expansion. Under his direction, Squaw donated lift tickets and season passes for Disabled Sports programs. Additionally, Wirth agreed to sponsor the organization’s annual “Ability Celebration,” a weeklong snowsports camp for injured military servicemen and women.
Werth arranged for Squaw to completely underwrite the “Ability Bash,” a fundraising dinner honoring the wounded warriors participating in the event. Squaw’s extensive in-kind donations to Disabled Sports total approximately $80,000 per year.
“We are so thrilled to present the award to Andy Wirth,” said Disabled Sports’ Executive Director, Haakon Lang-Ree. “His incredible energy and leadership has allowed us to reach even more disabled students including many veterans who have given so much our freedom.”
Disabled Sports USA Far West is the founding chapter of the national organization (Disabled Sports USA) and has led the way in adaptive sports and recreation for people with disabilities for over 40 year and is the nation’s largest nonprofit, multi-sport and multi-disability organization For more information, please visit call (530) 581-4161 or visit www.disabledsports.net.“If I Can Do This, I Can Do Anything!”
