WATERVILLE VALLEY, New Hampshire ??” For a second consecutive year, Waterville Valley Resort and the Waterville Valley Adaptive Ski Program will host disabled soldiers, who recently lost limbs in the war in Iraq, on March 17-19, 2006 as part of the Disabled Sports USA sports rehabilitation program. The soldiers and their families will fly to Manchester, NH, and be escorted to Waterville Valley Resort. Upon their arrival to Waterville Valley, the soldiers will stay with local families for the weekend.

“This is the most exciting event that we do and truly gives this whole community a sense giving back,” says Waterville Valley Adaptive Skiing Program Director Kathy Chandler. “Families open their homes to the soldiers, marines and their families to stay for the weekend while they get the opportunity to ski with some of our best instructors. This is one of the events that show these men and women about the opportunities for them after the life altering injuries they sustained in Iraq.”

For three days, specially-trained instructors with the Waterville Valley Adaptive Skiing Program will work with the soldiers to introduce, or reintroduce, them to the joys of snow skiing. Each morning Soldiers will enjoy breakfast at the mountain, meet the instructors of the Adaptive program and take lessons.

A community welcome reception at the Conference Center is scheduled for Friday night, March 17 and a dinner on Saturday, March 18, will be hosted by Diamond’s Edge Restaurant, located at Waterville Valley’s Town Square. Soldiers will have an opportunity to reflect on the success and challenges of learning or re-learning to ski and share that experience with new friends and family.

Sponsors for this spectacular event include; HUB Financial Charities Next Step Orthotics and Prosthetics, The Shuttle Connection, Jugtown, Waterville Valley Ski Area, Diamonds Edge, The Waterville Valley Foundation and Raytheon Corp.

Waterville Valley’s Adaptive Skiing Program operates under the 501(c)(3) non-profit status of AbilityPLUS. The Adaptive Skiing Program was founded in 1992 by Kathy Chandler, a PSIA-Certified Adaptive Examiner and former Ski School Director. Today the program is guided by over eighty dedicated and highly-trained volunteer instructors who teach lessons seven days a week.

To learn more about the program, please call 603-236-8311 ext. 3175, or visit www.waterville.com or www.abilityplus.org.