About McCostis Scholarship Fund

As Susan McCostis, an Okemo ski instructor, wrote to a friend in 2004, “The Snow Sports Scholarship was established in this past year because we realized that many of the Black River Valley kids were left out of competitive mountain programs due to the high cost… Sue and her husband Dick, a ski instructor and Safety Ambassador at Okemo Mountain and director of court diversion for Windsor County, have left a legacy for area youth through the McCostis Scholarship Fund (MSF). The fund is part of the Ludlow Teen Center, a 501 © 3 non-profit organization-030365776.

To honor a family member’s passion for snow sports, four memorial scholarships have been added to MSF, starting in 2007. These include: Pete Noyes Ski Scholarship; Kevin Stillwell Snowboarding Scholarship; George Shaw Ski Scholarship and Than Durgin Snowboarding Scholarship.

The mission of the MSF is “To assist Okemo Valley youth in their pursuit of excellence through skiing and snowboard training.” As such, the board of MSF believes the following:
• Through snow sports, Okemo Valley youth gain knowledge and experience to help them become successful adults.

• Training is a responsibility shared by the athlete, home, school, coach and community.

• Treating people with dignity and respect is essential to a healthy and productive environment. MSF recipients need to respect all those involved in snow sports, their teammates, mountain personnel, and coaches.

• As involving people in decisions that impact their lives promotes ownership, commitment, action, a sense of value and pride, MSF expects families and athletes to help in fundraising and other activities to ensure that the fund is available for athletes in the coming years.

• Okemo Valley youth should not be limited in their pursuit of snow sport excellence by lack of funds.

Scholarships are awarded by the following criteria: A resident of Ludlow, Cavendish, Proctorsville, Chester, Springfield, Mt. Holly or Plymouth VT; Enrolled in grades 5-12 and in good academic standing; Demonstrated interest in and commitment to skiing (including freestyle) or snowboarding; and Parents or guardians are in need of financial support and are supportive of their child’s pursuit of training

Scholarships are awarded for winter training. Limited funding is available for summer training and those that qualify for late season national or international competitions

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Fund, send a check, payable to LTC-Scholarship Fund to PO Box 243 Ludlow, VT 05159. Specify if you would like funds to be used for one of the memorial scholarships.

To learn more about the Fund, apply for a scholarship, or to assist us in our efforts, please contact  Tara Liechensteiger  802-228-7280 or lance@tds.net