DDH Volunteers Honor Veterans at Winter Sports Clinic

On April 1st, a dedicated group of Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (DDH) volunteers embarked on a mission to honor the nation’s Veterans as sponsors and volunteers at the 38th annual National Disabled Veteran’s Winter Sports Clinic (NDVWSC) in Snowmass Village, Colorado. 

Our team, which included Camille Cherri, Eileen Mack, Deandra Vigliarolo, Tony Crisitello, Jason Moskowitz, David Purdy, and Steve Wakser, spent the next five days helping Veterans from around the country reclaim their independence and achieve extraordinary goals during the empowering event affectionally referred to as “Miracles on a Mountainside.”  

Empowering Disabled Veterans 

Since its inception in 1987, the NDVWSC has allowed disabled Veterans to engage in adaptive sports such as skiing, rock wall climbing, fly fishing, and scuba diving. The clinic unites Veterans who have experienced combat injuries, accidents, or illnesses with seasoned instructors who provide the necessary training, support, and encouragement to pursue their goals.  Where needed, NDVWSC also engineers and fits equipment to suit each individual’s abilities so they can participate in their chosen sport—from helping a quadriplegic skier hit the slopes, to enabling an amputee to experience scuba diving for the first time.

The participants are encouraged to attend the Winter Sports Clinic by therapists at VA medical centers across the country, as it focuses on intensive therapeutic recreation. Through generous donations and sponsorships, including DDH's, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is able to financially support the operations of the event.

Pushing themselves to accomplish challenging goals at this event helps Veterans discover how much they are capable of achieving, giving them a greater sense of possibility for the future. What began with 90 participants 37 years ago has grown into the world's largest adaptive sports event, with around 400 Veterans participating annually. 

"One speaker emphasized that this event goes beyond merely supporting Veterans who have faced accidents, combat injuries, or life-altering events for one week," Director of Marketing Strategy Deandra Vigliarolo shared. "It aims to demonstrate how these Veterans can continue to move their body each and every day. This statement was very powerful to me as it showed how the clinic changes the lives of these Veterans, not just for this one week but every single day. It was truly an honor to be a part of that.” 

Miracles on the Mountainside

Upon landing in Colorado, our team got a preview of the days to come as members of the local ROTC greeted Veterans arriving from all over the country. Ranging in age from 18 to 92, many had made the journey with adaptive equipment in tow. First-time participants joined seasoned attendees, reuniting with “battle buddies” from previous years. While some arrived with a friend or family member, many had made the journey on their own, after fundraising with the support of local Veterans groups.  

“It was almost overwhelming to me to see how many people—over 400 Veterans—were able to pull this off,” said Eileen Mack, Corporate Regional Sales Manager – Government & Long-Term Care. 

The next day, our team signed up for volunteer opportunities assisting Veterans in their athletic pursuits. Chief Customer Officer Tony Crisitello and VP, Customer Solutions & Sales Learning David Purdy soon found themselves on the ski slopes, where they met Bob, a Veteran who was eager to hit the slopes for the first time after becoming wheelchair-bound.  

While the idea of a disabled Veteran typically conjures images of combat-related injuries, Bob had become disabled at age 85 after spending a month in a coma following an injury.

“When he came out of it, they asked him, ‘What is your goal?’ And they thought maybe, ‘to eat by himself again’ or ‘to walk again,’” Purdy shared. Instead, Bob awoke with something more adventurous in mind. “He said, ‘I want to ski again.’”   

Through determination and training with the support of NDVWSC, that goal soon became a reality. While Crisitello stood ready to assist at the bottom of the slope, Purdy skied behind the man with a device to help him if he needed a rest—but he didn’t need assistance. 

“He skied to the bottom every run. Just to see his face afterward was incredible,” Purdy said, adding, “That was the most amazing experience I think I’ve ever had in a giving event.” 

A Life-Changing Product in Action

When the day’s sporting events were over that Wednesday, our team helped at dinner, greeting Veterans, helping them to their seats, and serving them food and drinks. For VP Sales, Clinical Care Division Jason Moskowitz, this opportunity to serve was most impactful. “We were so thankful and appreciative to be there and enjoyed every second,” he shared. 

Connecting with Veterans, many of whom were using the Nitro® F22, a rollator designed specifically for Veterans, brought the experience home for the team.   

“It was honestly a full circle moment for me,” Camille Cherri, Regional Vice President, Government Sales said. “I teared up so many times just listening to them. Because that’s the goal: to provide a product that got them to this point where they could travel and do things that they want to do, and it was just so nice to hear those stories.”  Added Moskowitz: “It was affirmation that we come to work to help people.” 

The DAV likewise expressed gratitude for the meaningful partnership. “Part of what makes this event special is the army of volunteers from companies like DDH, who back their companies’ generosity by giving of their time and energy,” said DAV National Commander Nancy Espinosa. “On behalf of all of my fellow disabled Veterans who took on the challenge of this clinic, thank you, DDH, for your support.”

For more information on participating or volunteering with the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, visit www.wintersportsclinic.org.

Learn more about DDH’s services for Government.