Vail Valley Spotlight: Vail Veterans Program
Founder: Cheryl Jensen
Location: Vail
Phone number: 970-476-4906
Web address: http://www.vailveteransprogram.com
Years in business: since 2004
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What is the organization’s mission and who benefits from its work:
The mission of the Vail Veterans Program is to provide recent United States military service men and women who have been severely injured (loss of limb, limbs, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, etc.), while serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities in the Vail Valley with their families.
The program offers private ski and snowboard instruction, fly-fishing, rafting, camping and other outdoor activities. The program focuses on their abilities, not their disabilities, and allows them to discover confidence in themselves.
Where does your funding come from?
Individual donations and in-kind donations from our community.
How many staff members work for you?
We are a volunteer organization ” about 15 volunteers each year.
Anything else you’d like the community to know about the organization?
Through the years we have realized the importance of giving back to our recently wounded service members who have sacrificed for our country. As Sgt. Bryan Wagner said, “Learning to ski without my right leg was extremely challenging, but once I was on the mountain making turns I didn’t feel as though I was disabled, but instead that I was empowered.”
Contact Community Editor Lauren Glendenning at 970-748-2983, or lglendenning@vaildaily.com.