Featured Image: Justin Jenny
On Sunday, March 3, 2019, the High Fives Foundation held its eighth-annual Fat Ski-A-Thon, a fundraiser for the non-profit that encourages people to get out to Sugarbush Resort and ski on the widest skis they can possibly find. This year, the event broke records and had more than 200 attendees hitting the slopes together.
Started back in 2009, the High Fives Foundation is a certified non-profit based out of Truckee, California, committed to providing support for athletes who suffer from life-altering injuries, such as spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Two years after the organization’s inception, the Fat Ski-A-Thon was started to get Vermonters out on the slopes of Sugarbush Resort to test out fat skis, but the event quickly evolved into a community occasion for skiers of all skills and demographics to come together for a day of celebrating and fundraising.
“The Fat Ski-a-Thon event started as an event to bring awareness to the organization in my home state of Vermont,” said Roy Tuscany, CEO and founder of the High Fives Foundation, and former Waterbury, Vermont native, in a recent press release. “Over the last eight years of the event, we have watched it grow from a 25-person event, raising around $15,000, to the largest event in Foundation history with over 200 participants and over $211,000 raised. It speaks to High Fives support in Vermont, and I am truly proud to have grown up in such a caring area of the country.”
Celebrated adaptive skier Trevor Kennison is always available to have his picture taken with a fan. PHOTO: Brooks Curran. High Fives Athlete, Trevor Kennison, was also able to join in on the fun this year. “Skiing has really become a huge part in my life since my 2014 spinal cord injury,” said Kennison in the same press release. “Witnessing all of the smiles at Sugarbush certainly confirmed that I’m not the only one who enjoys this amazing sport!”
At the end of the day-long community shred-fest, the 2019 Fat Ski-A-Thon raked in over $210,000 in donations–making it the single largest fundraiser in High Fives’ history. All of the money raised will go directly to critically injured athletes to support their recoveries. Feeling like you want to contribute to the cause? High Fives will be accepting donations for this event through March 31. Click here to donate.
