FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What: 100th Anniversary Celebration – Adaptive Ski Day at Lake Lashaway in East Brookfield
When: Wednesday, July 13th from 8am-4pm
Where: North/East Brookfield Town Beach – 4 Lakeview Rd., North Brookfield, Ma
Contact: Ryan DesRoches – 508-944-9793 – WebsterWaterSki@Gmail.com
Photographers/Videographers: Please meet us at the beach, We’ll do our best to get you on a Boat up close to see the smiling skiers.
Lake Lashaway Adaptive Ski Event to celebrate East Brookfield’s and Water Ski’s 100th Anniversary!
Webster Water Ski Collective bringing Adaptive Water Skiing to Lake Lashaway as a way to bring disabled community together to celebrate East Brookfields 100th Anniversary!
East Brookfield, MA – July 2022 – On Wednesday, July 13th from 8am-4pm the Webster Water Ski Collective (WWSC) will be helping East Brookfield celebrate its 100th anniversary by hosting an “Any Age, Any Disability” Water Ski Event that will allow kids and adults with various disabilities including spinal bifida, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism and epilepsy the chance to water ski with trained instructors on Lake Lashaway. The event also coincides with the 100th Anniversary of Water Skiing as a sport, and is one of the many events Webster Water Ski Collective is hosting to celebrate 100 years of our sport!
This “Any Age, Any Disability” event is the second of four events scheduled for 2022 that brings adaptive water skiing to the disabled community in Central Massachusetts. The first event was held on Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury Massachusetts on June 24th, and other events will be held in Webster and Charlton Massachusetts later this summer.
The adaptive ski event will allow members of the disabled community to participate in water skiing using specialized equipment with trained and certified adaptive ski instructors assisting them. A picnic lunch will also be included for the participants and volunteers. The event is free for the participants and is being paid for through generous donations from our sponsors and local community.
The Webster Water Ski Collective is the only organization in Massachusetts, and one of only a handful of organizations nationwide that offers an adaptive water ski program. The Webster Water Ski Collective often partners up with the local community and with other ski enthusiasts to bring these events to local ponds and expand their offerings.
“It takes a village, but it’s so worth it to see those smiles.” says Ryan DesRoches, the director of Adaptive Skiing at WWSC. “We typically have 20 or more volunteers for these events made up of not just our group, but of other ski enthusiasts and members of the local community. It’s really a community event more than strictly a water-skiing event – and it’s great to see so many people come out to support and celebrate our disabled community”.
The Webster Water Ski Collective has been doing Adaptive Skiing for the past three years, starting in 2020 with help from the Leaps of Faith Organization from Sandy Hook, and recently starting their own program which is continuing to grow and expand their offerings in Central Massachusetts. This season, the group is hosting four events in Central Massachusetts with the goal of talking over 100 disabled individuals out on the water.
“There is nothing better that we like to do than to share our love of waterskiing with others,” said Ryan DesRoches. “Once you see the faces light up when they hit the water, it’s impossible not to smile and become hooked on doing this. We’re just so happy to be able to bring this opportunity of water skiing to our disabled community who normally would not get the chance to do something like this.”
The Lake Lashaway event is one of the many events taking place this year for East Brookfield’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. “We are honored to be a part of East Brookfield’s 100th Anniversary and to celebrate the town’s history and its future. Lake Lashaway is a beautiful spot for an event like this, and we have been blessed to come and be welcomed by the selectmen, residents and local businesses that have helped us bring this event to the lake.” says DesRoches.
Anyone interested in donating to the event or sponsoring may contact Ryan at WebsterWaterSki@gmail.com
Photos, videos and news coverage of our 2022 Lake Quinsigamond Event can be found at https://www.websterwaterski.org/tons-of-smiles-at-2nd-annual-adaptive-ski-day-at-lake-quinsigamond/
About the Webster Water Ski Collective
The Webster Water Ski Collective is a 501c3 organization with a mission to promote water skiing and watersports in a safe and fun environment for all ages and skill levels. Founded in 2020, the Collective is embarking on its third full season with skiing out of Point Breeze Marina on Webster Lake and Glen Echo Lake in Charlton. In addition to hosting adaptive ski events, the Webster Water Ski Collective also hosts free learn-to-ski events for the public during the summer months. In December, the collective hosts a “Swaterski” event where participants brave the cold water in Webster Lake for water skiing and then head to Wachusett Mountain for snow skiing, all in an effort to raise money for the National Brain Tumor Society. Over the past two seasons the SwaterSki event has raised over $25,000 for the Brain Tumor Society and Webster Dudley Food Share.
Event Sponsors:
Point Breeze Restaurant, Eastern Bank, The Janet Malser Humanities Trust, The Mark Fidrych Foundation, Space 2 Thrive, Slims & Berthiaume Sewer Service, Cornerstone Bank, Lakeview Marine, Doug Russell Marine, 308 Lakeside Restaurant, The Boaters of Webster, Bistro Eighty Ates Restaurant, Shore Side Docks, Long Subaru, Venture Communications & Security, Zmetra Clean Span Structures, Author Karen Michalson, Research Associates, Ski-It-Again.com, Big Belly Cafe, Alert Driving Academy, Dippin Donuts, Honey Dew Donuts, Hazard Marine, Foxy Travel, Firebrands Bar & Grill, Indian Ranch, Jess’s Sweets & Treats, Portraits by Sue Bray, Aesthetic Beauty Room, Tree House Brewing, Bella Lu Cigar and Gift Boutique, and the Samuel Slater Experience.
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