Groundbreaking Ceremoney for the New Home of Vermont Adaptive
From our friends at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports:
Erin Fernandez, executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports,
the largest year-round organization in the state to offer daily adaptive sports programs to people with disabilities, announced Nov. 1 that the construction crew officially broke ground on the organization’s new state headquarters at Pico Mountain on Monday. Robert Naylor, president and co-founder of
Naylor & Breen and the construction manager of the project, along with officials from Vermont Adaptive, Killington Resort and the Pico Ski Education Foundation, made the recommendation to begin foundation work now, in order to complete the construction of the building by late Summer 2013.
“The timing was right to put that first shovel into the ground,” said Fernandez. “Much of the work being done right now is being donated, and we were advised that it was an important time to begin so that we can stay right on track and pick things up in the spring. Killington officials worked extremely hard with us to help make this Fall 2012 groundbreaking happen, and we’re very thankful.”
Kevin Creed is leading his crew from Belden Company to reroute utility and water lines and to prepare the site for its foundation. Robert Carrera is the concrete contractor for the footings and frost walls, which should be ready to pour by mid-November. Framing will begin in April 2013 with a significant seasonal head start. Fundraising will continue in earnest throughout the winter and several fundraising events are taking shape.
“This is an exciting time in our organization and this new facility is the strong foundation that we will continue to build on as we enter our 26th year,” said Fernandez. “We are confident that our fundraising will continue just as strong as it has been. The entire state and our participants from across the country will benefit from this first-of-its-kind facility in Vermont. We are so thankful to everyone who has jumped on board with this amazing project.”
The PEAK lodge campaign at Pico Mountain is the first of three-phases of Vermont Adaptive’s Permanent Homes Campaign.
A special, ceremonial celebration was held on Nov. 13 and a construction kick-off party will usher in the winter season in early December.
Last year, Vermont Adaptive partnered with the Pico Ski Education Foundation, a youth skiing non-profit dedicated to providing young athletes with the resources to pursue their dreams, to build a shared facility which includes a permanent home for Vermont Adaptive’s state headquarters and the first yearround adaptive sports center in Vermont. Vermont Adaptive currently uses space provided by Pico Mountain for its programming and state headquarters.
The collaborative partnership between Vermont Adaptive and the Pico Ski Education Foundation brings opportunities for creating a dynamic, multi-use building. The name PEAK represents the values the two organizations share and plan to bring to life: performance, excellence, ability, and knowledge. The two organizations are more than three-quarters to their $800,000 in cash fundraising goal, with the rest of the funding coming through in-kind donations. Vermont Adaptive will own the first floor of the 6,000 sq. ft. facility. Located between the existing Pico Ski Club building and the Pico Base Lodge, the facility will connect to both buildings via outdoor balconies and decks on the second floor. The building is specifically designed by N∙B∙F Architects of Rutland for participants in Vermont Adaptive’s programs, providing easy accessibility for all, regardless of one’s disability. An elevator will connect the first and second floors.
To donate or inquire about naming opportunities, contact Fernandez at 802.353.8129 or
director@vermontadaptive.org. To make a donation online, visit www.vermontadaptive.org.