The Kelly Brush Foundation | Dedicated to Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Research

KBF Embarks on “Venue Excellence” Initiative with USSA, NSAA

by betsy on April 6, 2012

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.

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Grateful Volunteer

by betsy on April 2, 2012

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.

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Thanks for making our race course safer!

by betsy on March 16, 2012

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

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Thanks for the a-netting!

by betsy on March 16, 2012

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.

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Ski or Ride at Sugarbush on March 25th and 1/2 your ticket cost goes to KBF! (discounted tickets on sale now…)

by betsy on March 9, 2012

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!

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KBF Grant Breaks Down Barriers

by betsy on February 16, 2012

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

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Thanks for the Grant!

by betsy on February 14, 2012

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

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KBF Handcyclist completes ING Miami Marathon!

by betsy on February 3, 2012

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!!

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KBF Funded Mono-Ski Featured in Mobile Phone Commercial

by betsy on February 2, 2012

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:

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KELLY BRUSH FOUNDATION AWARDS $47K FOR ADAPTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT

by betsy on January 10, 2012

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

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