This past weekend Kelly Brush Davisson earned her Masters in Nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, making her a family nurse practitioner.  Congratulations, Kelly!  Kelly has worked extremely hard in her program to earn first her nursing degree and now her Masters in Nursing, no small accomplishment.   Kelly and her husband, Zeke, are living in Boston and, after a much deserved vacation this week, she will be back in Boston beginning the search for a position as a family nurse practitioner in the Boston area.

We at the Kelly Brush Foundation are extremely proud of all that Kelly has accomplished both through the Foundation and in her personal life – this degree is just the latest in so many great achievements – and surely will not be the last!

CBS, the NCAA, and Buick annually showcase former NCAA athletes who have made a difference through their charitable foundations during the NCAA Basketball Tournament, March Madness.   As you can guess, our very own Kelly Brush Davisson, has been chosen as one of only four athletes that were featured in the 2013 “Buick Human Highlight Reel”.   This half hour program aired on national television (CBS) during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Semifinals games.  Kelly and the Kelly Brush Foundation rounded out the half hour program with a moving story in which Kelly, her parents Mary & Charlie Brush, KBF grant recipient Jordan Carrell, and ski coach Sally Utter, discuss the Foundation and what it has been able to accomplish over its short history.

CBS sent a three person film crew up to Vermont in late February for a full day of video footage at Sugarbush. The film crew was also able to get footage of Kelly monoskiing down Inverness, the race trail she trained on as a student at Green Mountain Valley School, and which has been renamed the Kelly Brush Race Arena.    If you missed the show, you can view it here.  There is also a shorter video available online through the NCAA website.  Click here to watch that video segment.  Once there, click on “videos” and the KBF feature is on the 2nd page of videos.

Dear Kelly Brush and the Kelly Brush Foundation,

Thank you for the support you have and continue to offer to those affected by a Spinal Cord Injury.  Your story was well done by CBS this month.

Thank you specifically for the support you have shown me in helping me get my own Nissan Mono Ski last season.

Here is an end of the season wrap up of my skiing and just wanted to say thank you.

Keep up the good work.

- Ben Hulin, KBF Grant Recipient

As you’ve likely heard or read by now, Kelly Brush Davisson and the Kelly Brush Foundation have been chosen to be featured on CBS Sports during the final four tournament of men’s NCAA Division I Basketball.  The nationally broadcast half hour show will feature six individuals, all former NCAA athletes, who have started charitable organizations.  The full show will air on Saturday, April 6th at 3:30 pm EST on CBS Sports.

CBS has created two trailers for the show, which it is airing throughout the “March Madness” basketball tournament – so don’t get up to get a snack during that commercial break – or you could miss the trailer on the Kelly Brush Foundation!  To take a peak at the 90 second trailer, check it out online:

http://www.ncaa.com/video#!ncaa/2013-03-22/buick-human-highlight-reel-kelly-brush

If you’re a fan of college basketball and you’ve started watching the NCAA “March Madness” tournament on CBS sports you may have caught the snippet at the bottom of the screen showing a familiar looking monoskier.

Yes, that is Kelly!

 CBS, the NCAA, and Buick showcase six former NCAA athletes who have created charitable foundations and measurable change as a result during the NCAA Basketball Tournament, March Madness. As you can guess, our very own Kelly Brush Davisson, has been chosen as one of those featured in the 2013 “Buick Human Highlight Reel”. This half hour program will air on national television (CBS) on Saturday, April 6th at 3:30 pm during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Semifinals games. Kelly and the Kelly Brush Foundation will have a five minute spot within the 30 minute televised show, highlighting her story and everything the Foundation has been able to accomplish over its short history.

CBS sent a three person film crew up to Vermont in late February for a full day of video footage at Sugarbush. The film crew was also able to get footage of Kelly monoskiing down Inverness, the race trail she trained on as a student at Green Mountain Valley School, and which has been renamed the Kelly Brush Race Arena.   Kelly will be in great company in this televised show, alongside five professional athletes. Plan to tune in to your local CBS affiliate on the afternoon of April 6th to watch and see the Foundation you support get some much deserved national praise. We will be sure to email you and post reminders on facebook between now and then!

Kelly Brush Davisson was recently a panelist at Middlebury College’s Homecoming Panel on Sports for Development and Peace.  Here is the video Middlebury put together in preparation for this panel.  In it, Kelly talks about her accident, her drive to continue as an athlete, and the formation of the Kelly Brush Foundation.

One of the requirements of the Kelly Brush Foundation Ski Racing Safety Grant program is that any courses awarded funding by the KBF be homologated.  This requirement has had the benefit of encouraging several mountains to go through the homologation process to make their courses safer for all racers.  We are encouraged by these developments and excited that our program has the dual effect of adding much needed netting and creating more homologated courses.  We recently recieved a thank you from a 2011 ski racing safety grant recipient – a club who was awarded KBF grant funding on the condition that their course become homologated.  This is their letter:

Dear KBF,

On behalf of the Auburn Ski Association we wish to thank the Kelly Brush Foundation for your very generous matching grant that allowed us to purchase safety netting for use in races at Lost Valley.  As a result of the grant process and your encouragement, two of our trails have been certified for homologation which will greatly enhance our race program.  The Kelly Brush Foundation  has made it possible for the Auburn Ski Association to offer a safer racing experience for our mostly young skiers, and we very much appreciate your patience as we fulfilled the requirements of the grant over the past year.  We prominently displayed the Kelly Brush Foundation banner in the local middle school cafeteria at our 49th annual ski swap in November when hundreds of people came through to purchase equipment.  Thanks again for the grant.

Sincerely,Auburn Ski Association

Now that’s a lot of happy skiers!  Thanks, Toggenburg, for sharing.

Tony Schmeissing, a recent KBF grant recipient, wrote this post on his blog about his gratitude toward the Kelly Brush Foundation for the award of his grant funding.  It’s really inspiring – thanks, Tony, for sharing!

While there is no shortage of stoke and gratitude captured on the above video (hell, even pushing half a mile in a cold December rain couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm. Though, in retrospect that wasn’t the wisest of moves), I do feel the need to further explain — albeit briefly — why these grants have meant so much to me beyond their financial support.

When I applied for these grants, I put my heart and soul into them as much as anything I’ve ever written. In a limited amount of space, I’ve tried to tell the story of who I am and how my goals and ambitions further paint the story of Tony Schmiesing. But more importantly than this, I’ve tried to paint a much bigger story… a collective story… a story that doesn’t begin or end with me.

Sounds hokey? To some, maybe. But it’s the truth, and I believe these foundations, through their awards, have been able to see this. I have no allusions that these grants were given generously to me, Tony Schmiesing (the berkeley ginger quadriplegic bi-skiier), but I also know they were done so because they see how I connect to, and can relatively influence, the bigger picture… and for this I couldn’t be more honored, stoked and endlessly grateful!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this mind blowingly beautiful life!

Big love.

Mahalo.

- Tony

Etc.,
If you want to know more on my thoughts on this ridiculous new bi-ski, check out the end of this blog:

the quadriplegic zen art of chasing vert in a bi-ski 

Tony also shared this photo of him in his new KBF Century Ride t-shirt – thanks for sporting our look, Tony!

If you want to read more from Tony check out his blog that he updates regularly at http://www.fasterbarnacle.com/

Dear Kelly Brush Foundation,

I will never be able to thank you enough!  You have no idea how much this has changed my life!  Thank you so very much.  I don’t know where to start – you people along with many others have helped me get back out and do what I love to do.  And that is to ride mountain bike trails.  I was able to go pick up my Bomber off-road handcycle on September 10th.  I was able to go to two events through TASP, an adaptive Sports Program out of Telluride, Colorado, after picking it up.  With help of scholarships I was able to ride with them in Fruita, Colorado and Moab, Utah.  Both were tent camping with accessible restrooms.  I am hoping to be able to do these and more in the future.  I love meeting and riding with other people with disabilities. The world has come a long way with the equipment to get us back to doing what we like to do.  I am trying to give back as in trying to get my bomber out and about for others to ride.  I have a lot of people stop and ask me about this bike which I love because a lot of them have family or friends that have a disability of some sort.  And this is one way I get the word out about life not being over after a bad injury/illness.  I want to thank Kelly and her family and all that make up the KBF.  You guys and gals are helping many people like myself get back out doing what we love to do!!

Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,
Rick Marion

2012 was indeed a busy year – Kelly and Zeke’s engagement and wedding, a near hurricane during the Ride (that’s a first!), a full page Sports Illustrated article, and the new Venue Excellence partnership with USSA.  With all that the Foundation continues to do its most important work: award grants to ski clubs around the country for ski racing safety equipment such as helmets, netting, and padding, and award grants to individuals living with a spinal cord injury to purchase adaptive sports equipment.

This year we received a record number of applications from ski clubs and individuals for our two grant programs.  With nearly 60 applicants, the Board had their work cut out for them in reading and reviewing each and every one!  They came together for a long and productive day in early December to finalize the grant awards and, in the end, were pleased to be able to award over $125,000 in grants.  This is the most ever awarded and we are extremely proud of the achievement.

On the adaptive equipment side, awards of course included grants for handcycles and monoskis which are the most popular types of equipment requested, but this year there were also some more unique pieces of equipment purchased.  These include an adaptive carriage for horse carriage racing, and an adaptive bowling chair.  Whatever the equipment we are so pleased to be able to help these deserving athletes get back into the sports they love.  Interestingly, we saw many more quadriplegics applying (and receiving) grant funding this year.  This is encouraging to us, as it speaks to the increased availability of adaptive equipment for quads.  We also added a category to our grant awards this year.  For those athletes who have not yet tried an adaptive sport but know they want to, we were able to award funding for them to pay for up to five sessions at an adaptive athletic program of their choosing so that they can try out different equipment and sports before deciding which one works best for them and which they’d like to own.

On the ski racing safety side, we again awarded funding for many miles of b-netting and other padding and netting for race courses throughout the country.  The exciting thing on this side is that our grant awards now require courses to be homologated before being awarded funding.  In some cases, we have awarded funding provided the hill become homologated – and we have provided assistance to the clubs to make that happen.

WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Check it out!  Our very own Kelly Brush Davisson is featured in the current issue of Sports Illustrated.  Kelly and her outstanding work at the Kelly Brush Foundation were chosen out of thousands of athletes to be featured among just ten “Athletes who Care”.  In 1987, Sports Illustrated bestowed its highest honor on a group of sports figures dedicated to helping others. A quarter-century later, Kelly Brush Davisson was chosen as one of these athletes and we couldn’t be more proud of her or her accomplishments!

You can read the article online if you have the iPad version of the magazine or pick it up at a newsstand or bookstore near you.  It should be available for the entire month of December.  Way to go, Kelly!

I would like to thank the Kelly Brush Foundation for its support of the USSA venue excellence program and its assistance in creating such a ground breaking program.  The program was presented to us at the FIS technical directors summit over this past weekend in Las Vegas and this program is exactly what my organization needs to launch our new Race Quality Safety initiative.

I have been privileged to work with Walter Evans for many years and he has always been a tremendous leader in our sport and his assistance with Alpine Ontario Alpin’s new RACE Quality program allowing us his VENUE EXCELLENCE program as a template to move our program to a much advanced position is tremendous

I as Technical Director of AOA wish to thank you for supporting this USSA program as it will now reach into Canada.

Brad Lashley

Sincerely
Brad Lashley
Technical Director, Alpine Ontario

Photo by Rajan Chawla Photography

The 2012 KBF Ride photos are now available online – Here is just a sampling – check them all out at our photographer, Raj Chawla’s site today.    Our Director of Development, Susan Fayette, also took photos at the start and finish and they are available online as well.

CLICK HERE For Raj Chawla photos.

CLICK HERE for Susan’s photos.

Wow!  What a day!  The forecasted thunder, lightning, rain, and even tornadoes didn’t stop our supporters from coming out in droves on September 8th to support the Kelly Brush Foundation once again at the Century Ride.  The official count is still being tallied at the office and the donations are still coming in but it looks like we are close to last year’s numbers despite the worrisome weather forecast.   (Check back soon for final numbers and thanks again to all who support KBF!)

Special thanks go to all the riders and volunteers who came out in the wind to ride with us (88 to register that day and nearly all pre-registered riding!).  The weather held off until about 4:30 when we had to rescue a few cyclists from the end of the course just before lightning struck but the majority of people got to enjoy a beautiful day (if not a bit windy).

And when I got home after tearing down in the rain I was greeted by this amazing full rainbow – clearly the Kelly Brush Foundation does indeed bring good luck!

Full Rainbow after KBF Century Ride

One of the Kelly Brush Foundation’s core missions is to improve safety in the sport of ski racing.  In keeping with that mission we have led an awareness campaign through our ski racing safety poster series for the past several years.  These posters go out to ski racing clubs across the country and help put the message of ski racing safety front and center for both racers and racing families.  We also provide grants to racing clubs throughout the country to purchase b-netting and other safety equipment to make their hills safer for their athletes.

This year we have embarked on an exciting and ambitious new initiative in conjunction with the US Ski & Snowboarding Association (USSA) the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), and other industry leaders to systematically change the paradigm of ski racing to make it a safer sport.  This new initiative, “Venue Excellence” is being led by the USSA and partnered with the KBF and NSAA.  It seeks to implement a standard of safety guidelines and protocols to be used by each and every ski area and ski club in the country.  Venue Excellence is currently in the planning stages at and will be a long-term project for the three organizations involved.

Kelly Brush Foundation President Charlie Brush joined leaders from USSA and NSAA in Denver in March to launch the initiative.  Check out the video of Charlie announcing the partnership.

We are very excited to be a part of this program and to see the positive changes in this sport we all love.  We will keep you updated through email, this website and our newsletter as the program gears up and is rolled out.

As an event organizer, I rely heavily on volunteers to get the job done. I appreciate each and every one of them and can’t do it without them! From the people who put the signs out along the course in the wee hours of the morning to those who fill the coffee makers throughout the day and to all the cheerleaders, registration takers, water stop suppliers, etc. my thanks go out to them.

So it’s great to hear that the event was fun and gratifying for the volunteers as well. Here’s an email I received after the 2011 ride from a first-time volunteer who travelled from Connecticut with his family to volunteer – they were a tremendous help and it looks like they enjoyed it too!

Hi Betsy:
I just wanted to send you a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the day and meeting so many enthusiastic people. I can’t ever recall having so many people say “thank-you” to me…it’s a good thing. You put on a great event and it is clear that it took tons of effort to organize and take care of all the details. We are looking forward to next year!!!
Regards,
Craig

If you are interested in volunteering for the 2012 Kelly Brush Century Ride, make the decision and make the commitment – you won’t regret it!  You can email me at betsycabrera@kellybrushfoundation.org to volunteer.

The ride is set for Saturday, September 8, 2012 in Middlebury, Vermont.

Mt. Ripley Race Team with KBF Banner

Thank you so  much for the grant to allow our club to purchase netting for our race course. We were happy to display the banner all season at the bottom of the race course. It was especially prominent during our recent Keweenaw Cup Race on Feb 18. The Mt Ripley team won the cup with teams from Marquette, Iron Mountain and Ironwood participating in the race. We took a team photo right after awards with the cup proudly displayed.
 
Thank you again for your support of racing safety and the Mt Ripley Race Team.

- Cindy Karvonen Cowell
  President, Mt. Ripley Race Team

The Bristol Mountain Race Club wishes to thank the Kelly Brush Foundation once again for the generous grant to assist the Club in replacing the towers and “A” net on our primary race and training hill. Despite a rough winter the Club was able to host the SG training and races as scheduled.  The replacement of the 20 year old wood towers enhances the safety for all racers.  The general public also benefit from the grant since the hill is one of the mountain’s primary trails.

We are excited to be a part of the Sugarbush Resort Be Better Days program.  On Sunday, March 25th, we will be at Sugarbush with information about the Foundation and its mission and hope to see you there.  As a part of this program, Sugarbush is offering all mountain passes for $60 per person with half of all these ticket sales going directly to the Kelly Brush Foundation.  Tickets are normally $88 per person so this is a huge savings and a great way to support the Kelly Brush Foundation! 

This is a great opportunity for our supporters to get in a great day of spring skiing at a terrific price while supporting the Foundation – we hope you can join us and “Be Better” at Sugarbush!

Tickets must be purchased at least 2 days in advance online through this link:  PURCHASE TICKETS.  All tickets purchased through this link will be added into the tally for the Kelly Brush Foundation and half of the proceeds ($30 of each ticket) will go directly to the Kelly Brush Foundation.  So mark your calendar, buy your tickets, and come ski with us at Sugarbush on Sunday, March 25th!!  Tickets must be purchased at least 2 days in advance of the 25th so don’t delay – make your plans today!

Let me first start with an apology, this letter should have been written months ago.   My name is Maria Rinaldi. I am a C5-C6 quadriplegic living in Winooski, VT.   Last year, your foundation purchased me adaptive bowling equipment. I have meant several times to write a note of thanks but this has been a whirlwind year for me. I work part time at St. Michael’s College. I direct the Winooski Community Chorus. I have had to travel twice to SC as my partner sold his place there and we had to move everything up here. Then had to travel to Canada for the passing of a relative. And on top of this I traveled to Massachusetts to take driving lessons on an adapted van (just got my driver’s license last week).

Anyway…..

Thank you so very much for adaptive equipment!   Until now my ability to have recreational outings with my friends have been very limited. Many times I would be “left out” as friends hated to see me just sit and watch as they had fun. This equipment has allowed me to participate, becoming an active part of the fun!

Many people have marveled as they watch me actually bowl (not just push a ball down a ramp). It has even inspired others to give it a try!   I can’t tell you the number of people that I have met. Most just come up to see what I am doing. It truly has broken down barriers.

With my limited part time income, there is no way I would have been able to afford this equipment.   Thank you so very much once again!

Maria E. Rinaldi

Dear Kelly Brush Foundation,

I am sending this to you as a formal thank you for the grant that was provided in order for me to get a brand new Top End Force handcycle.  As you may recall in my application, I had informed you that I did have a handcycle, but that it was more of a recreational bike, rather than one that I could compete on.  When I did my very first full marathon on January 9, 2011 at Walt Disney World, I finished in 3:21:00.  Not having any prior races to compare with, I felt that my finish time was good.  As I continued to train, and competed in three more marathons last year, my finish times were not getting much better.  Most of the races I had been entering, I either came in last place, or very close to it.  From what I was being told from other racers, if I really wanted to compete, I would need a bike designed for racing.    As a quadriplegic, I was in a totally different class of athletes than the para’s I was racing against, and I came to the conclusion that I should just focus on racing against myself.

I received the new Force just before Christmas, and had about four weeks to train for the ING Miami Marathon on January 29, 2012.  Since this was my first time on this course, but I knew there were going to be a few bridges involved, I set a finish time goal of 3:00:00. I am excited to announce to you that I had a finish time of 2:40:53.  I beat my goal time by twenty minutes, and that’s forty minutes faster than my first race.  Probably the thing that was even more exciting than my finish time was that around mile 18, I passed a para!  This new bike has opened up a totally new perspective on racing for me.  I no longer feel that I am in a class by myself, but I can now race against other athletes.

In my application letter, I had also mentioned about “paying it forward” in regards to my old bike.  I had gotten involved with the South Florida chapter of Achilles International, and after much thought and prayer in what direction I should go in starting my own organization, I felt God wanted me to start an Achilles chapter in my area.  On January 26, I was notified that I was accepted to be the director of the Achilles International, Treasure Coast chapter.

I have already been able to loan my other bike out to “Kristi”.  She is a forty year old para that has been paralyzed since she was an infant due to cancer.  It was very exciting to be there to witness her reaction when she got on the bike for the first time.  This wasn’t just the first time on a handcycle, it was her first time ON A BIKE!

Thank you again for helping to make this dream a reality, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help.

Sincerely,
Jason Dugmore
2011 KBF Grant Recipient

Jason Dugmore, a recent KBF grant recipient, competed in the ING Miami Marathon last month in Florida.  Jason rode on his new handcyle funded by the Kelly Brush Foundation and finished with a terrific time of 2:40:53!  Congratulations, Jason.  We are so proud of you and happy to know that the Kelly Brush Foundation funds are being put to such great use.  Good luck in your next race!!

Ben Hulin was awarded a mono-ski by the Kelly Brush Foundation in 2010.  Little did we suspect at the time that Ben and his mono-ski would be featured in a Casio Mobile Phone commercial!  Check it out here:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Betsy Cabrera, Kelly Brush Foundation, 802-846-5298 or BetsyCabrera@KellyBrushFoundation.org
KELLY BRUSH FOUNDATION AWARDS $47K FOR ADAPTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT
ANNUAL GRANTS AIM TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION

BURLINGTON, Vt. (Jan. 10, 2012) – The Kelly Brush Foundation awarded $47,072 in grants for adaptive sporting equipment for individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI) as part of the foundation’s year end round of grant giving, Kelly Brush Foundation President Charlie Brush announced.

The foundation awarded 13 Kelly Brush Individual Grant Program grants to individuals from across the United States. The financial assistance assists with purchasing adaptive equipment including monoskis and handcycles.

“Enriching the lives of those with spinal cord injury through adaptive sports and recreation is a key goal of the Kelly Brush Foundation. Specialized adaptive equipment, often customized for the individual athlete, can be cost prohibitive.  Through Kelly Brush Individual Grants, the foundation aims to remove financial barriers to participation in adaptive sports,” Brush said.

The Kelly Brush Individual Grant Program provides support to economically disadvantaged individuals to purchase adaptive sporting equipment. The program’s goal is to increase participation in adaptive sports and recreation activities and improve the quality of life for individuals living with SCI.

Chris Jefferson was among the foundation’s grant recipients. Jefferson, a U.S. Army veteran and former 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper, was awarded a grant for adaptive ski equipment that will help him as he strives for a berth on the U.S. Paralympic Team.

“This equipment will make a big difference in my skiing, which in turn will make me better and more competitive as I train for the chance to serve my country again in the 2014 Paralympics in Russia,” said Jefferson, who is training with the Paralympic Development Program in Aspen, Colo.

The foundation also announced $53,442 in Ski Racing Safety Grants to ski clubs and race teams across the country. Ski Racing Safety Grants assist racing organizations in purchasing equipment that enhances safety for racers, including safety netting to line race courses, padding for chair lift towers and spine protectors for racers. Fifteen clubs and organizations received Ski Racing Safety Grants ranging from $500 to Monroe County Special Olympics, in Michigan to replace old and unsafe helmets to $12,500 to the United States Ski and Snowboard Association Central Region, based in Minnesota, for safety netting to bring the entire region up to full netting on all courses.

“Raising the bar for ski racing safety is part of the Kelly Brush Foundation’s core mission. This round of Ski Racing Safety Grants supports clubs and race teams from Maine to Idaho in their efforts to make the safety of their athletes a priority and to change the paradigm for both ski racing and training,” Brush said.

The Kelly Brush Foundation annual grants are made possible by the foundation’s primary fund-raising event, the Kelly Brush Century Ride, which is held annually in September in Middlebury, Vt. and hosted by the Middlebury College Ski Team. This past September, 24 handcyclists and 721 cyclists rode in support of the foundation’s mission and raised more than $275,000 for the foundation’s programs including adaptive equipment grants, improving ski racing safety, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.

About the foundation: The Kelly Brush Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with spinal cord injury(SCI) through providing adaptive sports equipment, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.  Kelly Brush, together with her family, started the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in NCAA Div. 1 competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in Vermont. The Kelly Brush Foundation affirms Kelly’s ongoing commitment to live life on her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI. www.kellybrushfoundation.org

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE

CONTACT: Betsy Cabrera, Kelly Brush Foundation, 802-846-5298 or BetsyCabrera@KellyBrushFoundation.org

KELLY BRUSH FOUNDATION AWARDS $100K IN ANNUAL GRANTS

GRANTS SUPPORT SKI RACING SAFETY AND ADAPTIVE SPORTS

BURLINGTON, Vt. (Jan. 10, 2012) – The Kelly Brush Foundation awarded $100,514 in grants for spinal cord injury prevention at the end of 2011 enriching the lives of those with spinal cord injuries and furthering the foundation’s mission to improve ski racing safety, Kelly Brush Foundation President Charlie Brush announced.

The foundation granted $53,442 in Ski Racing Safety Grants to ski clubs and race teams across the country. In addition, the Kelly Brush Individual Grant Program awarded $47,072 for adaptive athletic equipment.

Ski Racing Safety Grants assist racing organizations in purchasing equipment that enhances safety for racers including safety netting to line race courses, padding for chair lift towers and spine protectors for racers. Fifteen clubs and organizations received Ski Racing Safety Grants ranging from $500 to Monroe County Special Olympics, in Michigan to replace old and unsafe helmets to $12,500 to the United States Ski and Snowboard Association Central Region, based in Minnesota, for safety netting to bring the entire region up to full netting on all courses.

“Raising the bar for ski racing safety is part of the Kelly Brush Foundation’s core mission. This round of Ski Racing Safety Grants supports clubs and race teams from Maine to Idaho in their efforts to make the safety of their athletes a priority and to change the paradigm for both ski racing and training,” Brush said.
The foundation also announced the awarding of 13 Kelly Brush Individual Grants for adaptive athletic equipment. Individuals from across the United States who are living with SCI received financial assistance with purchasing equipment including monoskis and handcycles.

“Enriching the lives of those with spinal cord injury through adaptive sports and recreation is a key goal of the Kelly Brush Foundation. Specialized adaptive equipment, often customized for the individual athlete, can be cost prohibitive.  Through Kelly Brush Individual Grants, the foundation aims to remove financial barriers to participation in adaptive sports,” Brush said.

The Kelly Brush Foundation annual grants are made possible by the foundation’s primary fund-raising event, the Kelly Brush Century Ride, which is held annually in September in Middlebury, Vt. and hosted by the Middlebury College Ski Team. This past September, 24 handcyclists and 721 cyclists rode in support of the foundation’s mission and raised more than $275,000 for the foundation’s programs including adaptive equipment grants, improving ski racing safety, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.

About the foundation: The Kelly Brush Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with spinal cord injury(SCI) through providing adaptive sports equipment, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.  Kelly Brush, together with her family, started the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in NCAA Div. 1 competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in Vermont. The Kelly Brush Foundation affirms Kelly’s ongoing commitment to live life on her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI. www.kellybrushfoundation.org

IMAGE CAPTION: Kelly Brush Foundation grants assist adaptive athletes in purchasing sports gear including monoskis and handcycles. In this image adaptive athlete Chris Jefferson of Aspen, Colo. competes at Copper Mountain in Colorado in December.

# # #

The legacy and work of the Kelly Brush Foundation goes way beyond the initial funding of a monoski or handcycle.  By funding these pieces of equipment for individuals living with a spinal cord injury the Foundation is enhancing their lives in a way that most people take for granted.  This is evident when we hear back from past year grant recipients and hear how they are still enjoying their equipment and their lives even more because of it.  We recently received such a note from Faylis Ward, a 76-year old monoskier who received her grant last year from the Kelly Brush Foundation.  Faylis writes:

Just wanted to thank you once again for helping me to acquire a monoski.  I am now 76 years on this planet.  Last ski season I was able to ski 39 times with the help of my family.  After the lifts closed my son brought me up to the 12,000 foot Independence Pass just out of Aspen, Colorado.  Pushed me up the snowy slope so I could ski down.  Once on June 30th and once on July 5th.  It’s hard to believe the happy feeling I experience on each ski day.  My senior years are so much fun.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Waiting for ski season,
Faylis Ward

We say, “Thank you, Faylis!” for sharing with us how the grant you received from the Kelly Brush Foundation has impacted your life.  We hope to see you on the slopes some day!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Betsy Cabrera, 802-846-5298 or betsycabrera@kellybrushfoundation.org

RECORD SUPPORT
FOR 6^TH ANNUAL KELLY BRUSH CENTURY RIDE
OVER 700 RIDE FOR SPINAL CORD INJURY PREVENTION, ADAPTIVE SPORTS

BURLINGTON, Vt.(Sept. 15, 2011) The Kelly Brush Century Ride raised a record amount and drew the largest turnout in the six year history of the annual event held in Middlebury, Vt.

The 100-mile ride held on Sept. 10, raised over $275,000 for spinal cord injury prevention, adaptive sports and ski racing safety. A total of 721 riders participated in the scenic ride through theChamplainValley.

“With blue skies and comfortable temperatures, we could not have ordered a better day for the Kelly Brush Ride,” said Charlie Brush, president of the Kelly Brush Foundation. “I’d like to send out a huge thank you to all who rode and raised money. Thanks to the efforts of our many supporters, the foundation will be able to do more than ever to help people face the challenges of paralysis through the love of sport and improve ski racing safety.”

The largest fundraising ride in the state, the Kelly Brush Century Ride is also one of the best attended rides in the Northeast for handcyclists. This year 24 participants rode the course on handcycles.

The 100-mile ride raises money to support the Kelly Brush Foundation’s multi-faceted mission including:  improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with SCI through adaptive sports equipment grants, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.

For every $5,000 raised, the foundation donates adaptive sports equipment in the name of the team or individual who raised the money. In addition, funds raised support ski racing safety grants awarded to clubs and racing organizations across the country for safety equipment such as netting to line race courses and protective gear for racers.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride was started by the Middlebury College Ski Team as a way to raise money to buy an adaptive mono-ski for team member Kelly Brush, who was paralyzed as the result of a ski racing crash. Brush and her family later founded a non-profit, and the ride was opened to the public.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride is made possible thanks to the generosity of participants and sponsors including: VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, Shearer Audi, Sugarbush Resort, Earthlogic and many others.

About the foundation: The Kelly Brush Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with spinal cord injury(SCI) through providing adaptive sports equipment, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.  Kelly Brush, together with her family, started the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in NCAA Div. 1 competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in Vermont. The Kelly Brush Foundation affirms Kelly’s ongoing commitment to live life on her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI. www.kellybrushfoundation.org

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Kelly Brush cranked her way to victory on Monday in the prestigious Boston Marathon, winning the women’s handcycle division.

Brush, of Charlotte, finished in a time of 1:55:01. She finished sixth place overall among handcyclists. Brush qualified for Boston at last year’s KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, her first marathon attempt, where she finished in a time of 2:19. Boston was her second marathon.

“When I qualified for Boston a year ago at the Burlington marathon I had no idea what to expect. Being part of a race with tens of thousands of participants was a thrill. I can’t believe I won,” Brush said.

Training for the event was a challenge for Brush, 24, who is attending Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston, where she is studying to become a nurse practitioner. The marathon came in the middle of exams and training was difficult in the city. She was only able to ride outdoors three times before the race.

Brush is a graduate of Middlebury College where she was a member of the ski team. She sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in 2006. She and her family started the Kelly Brush Foundation to raise awareness and money for ski racing safety and spinal cord injury prevention. Each year the foundation hosts a 100-mile bicycle and handcycle ride in Middlebury, Vt. that raises money for the foundation. This year the Kelly Brush Century Ride is set for Sept. 10.

The Kelly Brush Foundation awarded $45,000 in Kelly Brush Inspiration Grants for adaptive sports equipment to recipients from Maine to California, Executive Director Joyce Wallace announced.

In all, 14 individuals from across the United States who are living with spinal cord injury (SCI) received grants for adaptive equipment including monoskis and handcyles.

“By providing individuals with adaptive sports equipment through Kelly Brush Inspiration Grants, the foundation significantly enhances the lives of those with spinal cord injuries enabling them to get back to the sport they love or to experience a form of recreation brand new to them,” Wallace said.

Grant recipients included Ben Hulin from Southbend, Ind. who suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident. Hulin will use his award to purchase a mono-ski for teaching adaptive skiing at the National Ability Center in Park City Utah and to pursue his dream of alpine racing.

“Each year the Kelly Brush Foundation grows, we are able to make a positive difference in the lives of more people with spinal cord injuries,” said Charlie Brush, Foundation President and father of Kelly Brush.

Kelly was selected as one of the women ESPN featured during their “Women’s History Month” on SportsNation in 2009. ESPN was interested in Kelly’s story because of her skilled athleticism accompanied by her determination and perseverance.

The 5th annual Kelly Brush Century Ride drew 675 riders and raised $275,000 for spinal cord injury prevention and research on Saturday.

The ride, which began and ended at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt. included 23 participants using hand cycles. The day was postcard perfect with clear blue skies and temperatures in the 70s.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see such strong support for the foundation and our mission,” said Charlie Brush, Kelly Brush Foundation president. “Our thanks goes to each and every rider whose participation helps the Kelly Brush Foundation make a positive difference in the lives of those with SCI and raises the bar for ski racing safety.”

The 100-mile ride raises money for improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with SCI through adaptive sports equipment grants, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team.

The ride continues to grow each year. The number of participants grew by about 175 this year and fundraising increased by about 40 percent.

For every $5,000 raised by a team or individual, the foundation donates adaptive sports equipment in the name of the team or individual who raised the money. In addition, funds raised support ski racing safety grants awarded to ski clubs and racing organizations across the country for safety netting to line race courses and safety gear for racers.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride was started by the Middlebury College Ski Team as a way to raise money to buy an adaptive mono-ski for team member Kelly Brush, who was paralyzed as the result of a ski racing crash. Brush and her family later founded a non-profit, and the ride was opened to the public. On Saturday’s ride, participants rode distances of 28, 50 or 100 miles, with options for 65 and 85 mile loops.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride is made possible thanks to the generosity of participants and sponsors including: VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, Sugarbush Resort, Shearer Audi, Audi of America, KeyBank, Saatchi & Saatchi and Champlain Investment Partners and others.

Watch Kelly’s interview with Fox Sports originally aired in 2009.  The interview shows how inspiring Kelly is in her continued efforts to be the most she can be (and more!)

Local news WPTZ Channel 5 featured the 2009 KBF Century Ride in this video which shows Paralympians Sarah Will and Chris Waddell who rode in that year’s event alongside of 15 other hand cyclists, many of whom are KBF grant recipients themselves.

Together, the hand cyclists raised over $10,000 for the Foundation, funding at least two individual grants for individuals.

WATCH VIDEO here.

Middlebury People of the Year

The NCAA Honors Committee has named Kelly Brush, a former skiing student-athlete at Middlebury, as the 2009 NCAA Inspiration Award recipient.

Brush will receive the award during the Honors and Delegates Celebration January 15 at the 2009 Convention in Washington, D.C.

The Inspiration Award may be presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letter-winner at an NCAA institution. It honors an individual who, when confronted with a life-altering situation, used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the event and now serves as a role model who gives hope and inspiration to others in similar situations. The honor is not automatically presented each year.  READ FULL ARTICLE…