UPDATE (7/16 1:00PM)
Holy heck! I'm passed my third fundraising target ($2,500), and now I'm only $5 away from what I believe is my all-time high fundraising for Vermont Adaptive ($2,590 in 2024). True to my nature as an ultra runner, though, I'm not gonna stop here. Instead, I'm setting a fourth goal of $3,000, and as with every donation so far, I will be so grateful to anyone new who contributes towards helping me hit this. Again, it all goes to adaptive outdoor recreational programming for people living with any kind of disability, and every and any amount makes an impact. No runner is requited to fundraise either. So there's no minimum to meet, and for the same reason, no cap. We all just do the best we can and we are only able to do any of it because of YOU! Thank you!
UPDATE (7/14 12:45PM)
WOW! As of now, we've surpassed my second fundraising target of $2,000! This is really incredible, and Erin and I are so thankful to everyone who has contributed. I'm going to raise the bar again, to $2,500 this time, to see if anyone else wants to help move the needle. Again, there is no mandatory amount for any racer to raise, and likewise, no cap. We just do the best we can, and we are only able to do any of it because of YOU!
UPDATE (7/12 8:00PM):
Thanks to everyone who already helped me reach my intial fundraising target of $1,500. I appreciate you so much! And now I'm upping my new goal to $2,000 and hoping some new folks will join in on this giving adventure! There is no mandatory amount for any racer to raise, and likewise, no cap. We just do the best we can, and we are only able to do any of it because of YOU!
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Hi, friends and family!
On Saturday (July 19) Erin and I will toe the line beside hundreds of other runners to participate in the Vermont 100 Endurance Race together – my eighth start at the Vermont 100, and her first ever one hundred (!!!). We are so excited to go on this audacious and awesome adventure as a team, and today I’m writing to ask if you will “join us” from the sidelines by helping us reach our fundraising goals for the race’s beneficiary, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. Any amount makes a difference.
To those of you who have donated to this cause on my behalf in the past, I want to thank you extra for your ongoing support, and to anyone who has not – I hope you may consider doing so this year. As someone who works in the adaptive outdoor programming and nonprofit space, and as someone who loves to play in nature in my own free time, I can attest to how critical organizations like Vermont Adaptive are to the health and happiness of people of all abilities and means. It’s incredible what just $5, $10 or $20 can do to elevate another person’s life, and it all adds up!
At Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, children, adults, and veterans who live with visible and invisible disabilities are able to access inclusive outdoor recreational programming year-round, regardless of their ability to pay for these opportunities. This means those who might otherwise be limited by their unique circumstances are instead empowered to experience more vibrant, interconnected, and fulfilling lives through participation in 100% supported activities like adaptive skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, hiking, cycling, rock climbing, horseback riding, wellness retreats, and loads more.
Erin and I have dedicated our winter, spring, and summer so far training together for the VT100 – readying ourselves for the literal and figurative highs and lows that come with ultrarunning – but like those we are fundraising for, we would still love, appreciate, and forever cherish your support to help push us across that finish line! Your donation will go towards purchasing adaptive sports equipment, training volunteers, providing more scholarships for participation, and ultimately, giving the gift of greater independence and self-confidence to more deserving people.
Thank you and we’ll be thinking of you on race day as we give this event and the community it serves our best – side by side, stride for stride.
With love and gratitude!
Alex & Erin
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IT'S THE GREATEST THING
“I think Vermont Adaptive is the most underrated thing in the entire world. It’s the greatest thing. It’s the coolest program. I have a friend whose daughter has Usher syndrome, so she was born deaf and is losing her vision. We all went up skiing at Sugarbush with Vermont Adaptive and it was the greatest time. His daughter still can’t stop talking about it. What Vermont Adaptive does for any person who is eligible is insane. You can’t put words to it. It’s freeing, it normalizes folks. We all got our Vermont Adaptive gear because we’re so proud of it.” - Ben Simanski, 2022 VT100 finisher and Athletes with Disabilities Champion (Visual Impairment)
ACCESS FOR ALL
Since 1987, the Vermont 100 and its partner race, the Vermont 50 (held in September), have been the two most impactful annual fundraisers for Vermont Adaptive, helping to generate over $2,00,000 in lifetime support. In 2017, the Vermont 100 also advanced its commitment to athletes of all abilities, becoming the world’s first trail & ultra race to formally recognize visually and mobility impaired runners in their own awards category (Athletes with Disabilities). And in 2025, the race added a neurodiverse category to further support runners who are diagnosed autistic or who live with traumatic brain injury (TBI), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other cognitive, developmental, or behavioral impairments – extending its commitment to athletes everywhere and progressing outdoor recreation DEI policies that benefit all.
MORE INFO
For more info about the Vermont 100, visit: https://vermont100.com/
For more info about Vermont Adaptive, visit: https://www.vermontadaptive.org/