It’s time to break out the skis and the hot chocolate as the DSR Kids Winter Camp participants hit the slopes at Howman’s Gap for our annual Winter Camp.
This year’s camp was held in the beautiful Bogong High Plains, a five hour drive from Melbourne and approximately 4 kilometres from the slopes at Falls Creek.
Upon arriving campers were faced with a slight delay on the first day of skiing due to strong winds. Thankfully, they managed to seek refuge from the wind at the new office of Disabled Wintersport Australia (DWA) near Slalom Plaza. After the winds settled down, the kids were paired with their respective DWA guides and had a fantastic time skiing in the afternoon. One of the participants, Big Tommy had a fantastic skiing experience with his instructors, Hans and Jeff from DWA. They enjoyed skiing together and had a lot of fun on the slopes!
In the evening everyone gathered at the lodge to watch a highlights package from the day that our superstar volunteer and amateur photographer, Tim, had pulled together. Tim has been a staple of our DSR Kids camps for 30 years, he’s generous with his time and without him these camps wouldn’t be possible.
[Image ID: In Image 1 (Left), there are two children wearing snow gear - one in pink on the left and the other in blue on the right. They are both smiling at the camera. In Image 2 (Middle), a child wearing red snow gear is using the snow lift while giving a thumbs up. In Image 3 (Right), three children - one in pink, one in blue, and one in peach - are seen looking to their right, getting ready to go skiing.]
After a good night's rest our campers had the opportunity to participate in a Ski Lesson with a trained instructor. The progress made by each participant was truly amazing! Emily's skiing skills were excellent, and she established great relationships with the kids. Lachie's massive progress was evident when he tackled new, more challenging ski runs. Amy and Little Tommy's skiing abilities improved by leaps and bounds, and it was a pleasure to witness. And finally, Tyler was the most active camper on the slopes, displaying endless energy for skiing.
The children had such a thrilling time skiing and afterwards relaxed at the lodge before heading back on the coach. Everyone was buzzing with excitement as the camp came to a close.
We made a video showing some of the highlights from the camp!
Our CEO Liz Tesone who joined the Howmans Gap Falls Creek campers, expressed how happy she was to be a part of the camp.
“What a joy it was to be involved in this year’s DSR Kids Winter Camp! Our campers had a ball developing their skiing skills and zipping down snow runs with the guidance of experienced instructors from Disabled Wintersport Australia.
It was beautiful to see new friendships formed throughout the three days and I have no doubt that our campers went home with some lifelong memories. I would like to thank our donors for their generous support, as well as our dedicated camp volunteers – this valuable experience would not be possible without you!”, Liz said.
Our partnership with Disabled Wintersport Australia was invaluable, as their exceptional guidance on the slopes resulted in significant skill improvements and numerous smiles. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our donors and supporters, whose contributions played a vital role in the camp's success. Their generosity and support enabled us to deliver life-changing experiences for the kids, making this Winter Camp unforgettable for everyone involved.