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.