The
Landon Morley Sawyer Foundation is an established charitable foundation
to assist worthy young skiers on achieving professional level ski education
and training. Through an arduous process riddled with intense
deliberation, the LMS Foundation has narrowed down the plethora of applicants
and awarded this year’s grants to six exceptional and deserving young
skiers.
The
Landon Morley Sawyer Foundation is proud to announce the 2006 grant
winners:
Heidi Degenhardt, Wasatch Freestyle
Team Robert Burden, Killington Mountain
School Kaitlyn Yakaitis, Stratton Freestyle Wade Parkinson, Telluride Freestyle
Team Ryan Reilly, Park City Freestyle
Team Josh Bishop, The University of
Colorado Freeride Ski Team (CUFST)
The
recipients over the past four years have been chosen of the basis of
merit, need, community spirit, promise, and coaches’ recommendations.
The mission of this 503C foundation is to provide opportunity, support,
information and education to young ski athletes. The Landon Morley
Sawyer Foundation provides grants in the form of scholarships to passionate
skiers in the hopes of allowing them to better pursue their skiing goals
and allow them opportunities they would not otherwise have.
The
overwhelming, positive reaction from the grants winners is instantly
felt. When asked how receiving the grant feels, Ryan Reilly answered:
“Receiving the LMS grant is just awesome. I like how the LMS foundation
is getting involved in this sport and how they have been helping out
athletes as much as possible. It makes me feel really good to know that they are
helping the younger part of the sport too, instead of just worrying
about all of the big timers, even though they are still very important.”
Reception
of the grant by the six winners will have a substantial positive impact
on their skiing lives and dreams. Josh Bishop explains what this grant
will mean and how this ski year will change because of the Landon Morley
Sawyer Foundation.
“This
season I will be able to compete in the US Open, American Freeski Tour,
Aspen Open, Vermont Open, Breck Spring Massive, Friday Nigh Big Air
in Aspen, and many other competitions throughout Colorado. Finances
have always been tight, but now that I don't have to worry about competition
expenses- I will be able to compete, travel, and progress that much
more. The grant will help me achieve my mission of getting more kids
amped on skiing!”
Josh
also explained how this season would be different if he had not received
the LMS scholarship.
“If
I didn't receive the grant, I would not be able to register for half
the competitions I plan on entering and traveling would be out of the
question. The majority of my funds would have been allocated to a select
two competitions and finances would have been a constant worry throughout
the season.”
All
the grant winners have lofty goals for the season. Ryan Reilly gives
details about his exciting and ambitious plans for the season.
“…Coming
into this season I want to improve on last year’s season. I want improve
my speed tremendously and I want to perfect my turns and airs. I also
have some new tricks that I plan on throwing this year - big tricks that
is. I have a trick that I made up where I do a cork-7 and grab both
of my tips and of course a cork-1080 and possibly a cork-1080-true tail.
Right now, what I really want to nail is that double true nose cork-7,
but my turns will definitely be more important to work on in the early
season along with the airs. Pretty much just break out even more this
season and go for the big podium at Junior Nationals, which is what
I really want this season.”
The
foundation, which was chartered in 2002 in memory of the humanity of
freestyle skier Landon Sawyer, has to date awarded about $100,000 in
grants, built a world cup freestyle completion run at Bogus Basin, in
Boise Idaho ( Landos Mojo), commissioned and erected a monument to humanity
and art at the Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
to serve as a spiritual gathering grove for skiers and non-skiers alike,
provided world class training equipment for skiers and established the
Landon Morley Sawyer website http://www.landosmojo.org.
The
website recently enhanced functions as a multimedia site for skiers
and provides a center for ski information, news and communication.
It is fashioned to provide up to date news about a multitude of ski
related information as well as historical events of interest.
There is a new form section for users to communicate with one another
and best of all one of the webs best ski calendars of events.
The interactive calendar is a detailed and easy to use schedule of ski
occurrences all over the globe. The items range from local completions
and happenings in all areas of the country to massive worldwide ski
events. There is detailed information for each listed item so
users can utilize the calendar to plan their own competition schedule
or know the how, what, where, when and why of the whole ski season.
The foundation is unique in
helping so many young skiers add their dreams to reality, and has impacted
tens of thousands of lives. For more information regarding the
foundation’s grant and other programs, please visit: http://www.landosmojo.org.
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