Two MSF Snowboarders Compete at US Open

At the recent US Open Junior Jam, there were 80 competitors (13 and under) from all over the country plus several from Ireland and Japan. MSF snowboarders Taylor Spaulding and Austin Rebetz finished really well, 23rd and 26th respectively.

Watch Taylor’s tricks at Okemo.

A special note of thanks to Than Durgin's family and friends. The funds help to send both boys to a week of training just before this event.

Kevin Stillwell Snowboarding Scholarship

Kevin grew up in Mount Holly, VT and was a member of the first Black River High School snowboard team. An avid fisherman and skateboarder, as well as snowboarder, it was a shock to the community when Kevin died at 25, due to complications from diabetes. Much loved by his family and friends, his mother Sue said, “We would have liked to have sent Kevin to OMS but we couldn’t afford it. Maybe now other kids can have that advantage through this scholarship.”

This scholarship has been specifically designed to help our local snowboarders make it to national and international competitions.

Donations can be made to the Kevin Stillwell Snowboarding Scholarship by sending a check payable to LTC-MSF and mailed to LTC-MSF, 106 Main Street, Ludlow, VT 05149. Be sure to specify that the money is for the Stillwell scholarship.

Thank You

A very special thank you from the board of the MSF to all of those who made Saturday night's fundraiser such a success:

Killarney's and Mark Grieco and his Fabulous Band GMP

Blue Sky Trading Company
Boot Pro
Hunter Lea Gallery
Sweet Surrender Bakery
Brewfest Beverage Company
Wine and Cheese Depot
Killarney’s
Stratton Mountain
Okemo Mountain
Magic Mountain
Stowe Mountain
Meditrina
A Catered Affair
Joe Jones
Tuckernut Shoals
Chrisandras’s Interior Design
Dozen Eggs
Old Cavendish Fruitcake
Maker of Quilted Table Runner
Summit Soapworks
Alicia Tietsma
Joan Noyes
Rainy Hughes
Joy Patterson
Margo Caulfield
Martha Moriarty
Maria Tomaselli
Heather and Jerry Tucker
Jane Hart
Chris Marks
Bill Champion
Mary Lou Shaw
Ruth Anne Howgate
The Durgin Family

Raffle winners

Thanks to Killarney's, the many people and businesses that donated items for the silent auction, our fabulous band, and the many people who came and helped us raise much needed funds at our "Snow Bank Party." In fact, the response was so good, sufficient funds were raised to help our snowboarders attend a special snowboard camp this week. While three of the four boarders made Nationals, only Taylor Spaulding will be competing at Copper Mountain.

Joan Noye's quilts are so incredible, that everyone wants to know, who won. So the winners of the raffle were as follows:

Handmade quilt made from Batiks by Joan Noyes: Nancy Humlicek of Windsor, CT

Table Runner made by Ruthanne Howgate: Claude Marie Barthelmes of Southington, Ct

Gift Certificate Sweet Surrender Bakery: Leigh Griswold

Gift Certificate Brewfest: Nancy Humlicek Windsor, CT

Gift Certificate Wine & Cheese Depot: Donna Cahill Ludlow, Vt

Gift Certificate Wine & Cheese Depot: Lorraine Hughes Cromwell, Ct

Gift Certificate Wine & Cheese Depot: Nancy Lever Ludlow, Vt

George Shaw Ski Scholarship

George Shaw was a life long skier beginning at Seven Springs Resort near Pittsburgh, PA in the1950's. He taught his three daughters, wife and many friends the sport. After retirement from Westinghouse Advanced Reactors in 1990, he began visiting Okemo and became a ski instructor in 1999. He taught with Dick and Sue McCostis at Jackson Gore and enjoyed their annual Christmas Eve parties. In order to pursue his love of golf in the summer and skiing in the winter at Okemo, he moved to Ludlow permanently in 2007.

George became a ski instructor at Okemo. After his diagnosis with cancer, he continued to teach, and when that was no longer possible, because, he loved the mountain the people so much, he worked in the ski check at Jackson Gore.

As one of his fellow ski instructors’s said, “he had a great attitude of just keeping going. He wanted to be with people and they wanted to be with him. He gave great hugs.”

After a long battle with cancer, George died in 2009. His wife, Marylou started the ski scholarship in 2010.

Hug one for George.

Donations can be made to the George Shaw Ski Scholarship by sending a check payable to LTC-MSF and mailed to LTC-MSF, PO Box 243 Ludlow, VT 05149. Be sure to specify that your donation is for the Shaw scholarship.

Than Durgin Snowboarding Scholarship

Nathaniel (Than) Roberts Durgin was born and raised in Connecticut, but spent a large part of his winters snowboarding at Okemo Mountain, where his Dad Carl is on Ski Patrol and Mom, Dorothy, a nurse, worked in the First Aid Room. He and his sister Bonnie, both became snowboard instructors for Okemo. Graduating from Castleton State College, he was pursuing a career in digital design.

Having been diagnosed in college with brain cancer, Than lived for 13 more years. He became a world traveler, avid water skier and snowboarder, even snowboarding the Alps.

A member of the Castleton Snowboarding Team, one of his former teammates wrote, “ If I close my eyes I can just picture him saying – “Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.” – whether it was a jammed copier, a tough deadline, or facing cancer, Than had this unsinkable positive attitude, that fueled his infectious smile. I think there’s a lot to learn from Than’s smile for all of us. We’ll miss you Than. See you on the hill this winter, I know you’ll be there.”

His colleague at Ditto Design posted the following about Than, “Today we recognize Nathaniel Durgin's contribution to the Ditto brand. Than became the face of Ditto by greeting customers with his broad and sunny smile. Nothing—and no one— could deflate his enthusiasm for Ditto! and his willingness to provide whatever service was required under whatever circumstances. Than was a loyal and dedicated employee– a colleague–unlike anyone I have ever known. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

Than’s parents, sister Bonnie, and girlfriend Tamara, started the snowboarding scholarship March 2011.

Donations can be made to the Than Durgin Snowboarding Scholarship by sending a check payable to LTC-MSF and mailed to LTC-MSF, PO Box 243 Ludlow, VT 05149. Be sure to specify that the money is for the Durgin scholarship

Snow Bank Party to Benefit McCostis Scholarship Fund

In 2004, when Sue McCostis set up a scholarship fund to help local youth obtain training in snow sports, she had no idea how many teens would benefit from the program or how much it would grow in the coming years.

The McCostis Scholarship Fund (MSF), a program of the Ludlow Teen Center, not only recognizes Sue and Dick’s interest in skiing, but also their commitment to helping teens. In addition to the respective scholarships in Sue and Dick’s memory, there are also three additional memorial scholarships: Pete Noyes Skiing Scholarship, George Shaw Skiing Scholarship; and the Than Durgin Snowboarding Scholarship.

Recipients of a MSF scholarship must meet a set criteria: permanent residence of the Black River Valley; recommendations from school, coach and community; and financial need. In the first few years of the scholarship fund, only one scholarship was given per year. It varies from year to year, based on applications received, but we are now averaging about six scholarships a season. Funds have been used to pay for weekend programs, snow academies, as well as assistance with national and international competitions.

The Mission of MSF is “To assist Okemo Valley youth in their pursuit of excellence through skiing and snowboard training.” We believe that the fifteen students funded to date are doing just that. The three free style skiers funded, a special interest of Sue’s, are now all in college. Of the five snowboarders funded, one is in college and the rest are in junior high and high school. This year, two of our four snowboarders have qualified for nationals, one is excelling on the high school circuit and the fourth is still in contention for a slot for Nationals. Our Pete Noyes Ski Scholarship recipient, Rainie Hill qualified for J2 Nationals, only one of 15 girls in the east to do so. Not only do our students excel on the hill, but many are on the honor role in their respective schools.

On March 19, Saturday, the MSF will be holding a “Snow Bank Party” to help raise funds for winter 11-12. The Killarney’s, who has been a generous host to MSF benefits in the last several years, is once again opening its doors for a fun filled evening. There is a special raffle, as well as a silent auction. The band GMB will be playing for your dancing and listening pleasure. MSF recipients for the 10-11 season will be in attendance. Activities start getting underway about 6:00 pm.

If you can’t make it to Killarney’s, stop by Berkshire Bank and purchase a raffle ticket for the gorgeous quilt made by Joan Noyes.