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About
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SEWASP (pronounced "see-wasp") provides adaptive alpine skiing and snowboard lessons for people with disabilities in southeastern Wisconsin and surrounding areas.
 
SEWASP is a community effort of:
  • Our Participants
  • Dedicated Volunteers
  • Generous Sponsors
  • IndependenceFirst, Wisconsin’s largest non-residential independent living center
We began as a Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center recreation program in 1985. Through the years the program grew until, in 1996 with the support of Marquette Medical Systems Foundation, we established SEWASP, a unique community based organization. In 1998 we incorporated in the State of Wisconsin and became a chapter of Disabled Sports USA.

SEWASP is a not-for-profit 501c(3) non-stock corporation licensed in Wisconsin as a charitable organization and is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA. We rely on contributions to support all functions of our ski school. Our mission is carried out with an all-volunteer board of directors and volunteer ski/snowboard instructors. 
 
"Adaptive" refers to the modified equipment and teaching techniques used to enable skiers and snowboarders to participate safely and as independently as possible. Instruction is generally provided at Alpine Valley Ski Resort near East Troy, Wisconsin (southwest of Milwaukee on I-43), on Thursday evenings from January through mid-March.

SEWASP provides lessons for participants with all types of disabilities including:

  • motor and physical (spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), spina bifida, etc.)
  • cognitive (brain injury, mental retardation, etc.)
  • sensory (blindness and other visual impairments, deafness and other hearing impairments, etc.)

The program provides adaptive ski equipment and equipment fitting. Equipment provided includes bi-skis and mono-skis for participants who may sit down when they ski. Some skiers have their own equipment.

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Lesson Status

Newsflash

Reservations will be taken for the 2011-2012 season starting Monday November 7, 2011. We are getting ready for another fun and exciting snow season. And, as usual, we expect lesson slots to fill up quickly.....
 

SEWASP is a member of Community Health Charities of Wisconsin (CHCWI).  Watch for SEWASP in your Wisconsin workplace giving campaign (usually the fall of each year).  Help us get the word out to family, friends, and coworkers working in Wisconsin that they too can likely donate through their workplace (a.k.a "combined compaign").  These campaigns make giving easy with the option of payroll deduction.  Please take a moment to think about who you could call or email to let them know that SEWASP is a great organization to support.
 

Please remember that reservations are always required for SEWASP lessons.
 

Snow Conditions

Alpine Valley Resort