Challenge Mountain began as a big dream from a woman named Darla Evans. In 1982 Darla took her daughter Christi to the National Sports
Center for the disabled in Winter Park, Colorado. Many birth defects and disabilities restricted Christi, so she just got pushed around in a wheelchair. Christi was put into a specially designed ski/wheelchair kind of thing and then was pulled up to the top of the mountain. The first few times she was guided with a person on the back skiing along with her, but after that she got the hang of it and started having lots of fun. Two years later the Challenge Mountain Resort was founded. This organization is primarily made for disabled children and adults to come have fun skiing. Some days Challenge Mountain has a “free day of fun” where you can come in and ski, eat food, go on carriage rides, and many more fun things. I’ve actually been to one of those days. It was a blast. My favorite part was where you put on empty shoe boxes and try to walk on icy hills… I fell like a billion times.
I’m very determined that the hundred dollars will really benefit Challenge Mountain because first of all they are very kind and are willing to give disabled people a chance to have some fun. And second of all because they are a unique in what they provide to disabled people. Like I said, they are very kind. I actually know how the kids and adults feel when they go down the mountain because I have a disabled sister named Taylor. She loves going to the mountain. Whenever I see her coming down the hill she always has a smile on her face. Not very long ago Taylor went to Challenge Mountain on a field trip, her school does this about 1 to 2 times a year.
I chose this charity because it’s the only one like it in Northern Michigan. I also chose it because my sister goes there I thought it would be nice to add a family member into my essay. But I mainly chose it because when do you ever see somebody that has a disability zooming down an icy hill? Exactly, you don’t. So I really thought Challenge Mountain would deserve to have this hundred dollars.
I have a very good personal connection with Challenge Mountain, which is because of my sister Taylor, as I mentioned earlier. She goes there in the winter on school field trips and I go when they have the “free day of fun”. I really like Challenge Mountain, I know tons of people there, and sometimes Challenge Mountain is in the newspaper. Just by looking at pictures I can name a few people. I remember one time when I volunteered to guide my sister down the hill, it took some getting used to but it was fun after I got the hang of it. My mom and I sometimes go to the Challenge Mountain resale shop. They have some neat stuff in there, that’s actually where I got my hobo Halloween costume. We recently donated some used stuff that we had lying around the house. The thing that I like about the resale shop is that all the money that they make is given to provide recreational opportunities to disabled people throughout the year.
I really believe that my essay should be the winning essay because Challenge Mountain is a really great charity and is probably a dream for many disabled kids and adults. I’m hoping that my essay will win not just because I want it to, but also because Challenge Mountain deserves the hundred dollars. Even though the snow is all gone that doesn’t mean Challenge Mountain isn’t open. They also plan other recreational activities like bike riding, kayaking, picnics and many more things. So if you didn’t have anything to do, Challenge Mountain is always looking for good volunteers. Challenge Mountain is probably the kindest place I’ve ever been to… besides Disney World. Again I really believe that Challenge Mountain deserves this hundred dollars.
By: Liam R. LaFave
Boyne City Kiwanis Eddie Essay Gold Award Winner – May 2016
5th Grade | Mrs. Baxter
Boyne City Middle School
