Over the weekend of March 13–15, we took 37 burn survivors ages 7–17 and over 20 volunteers up to Bear Valley for the annual Statewide California Ski Trip, and it was such an amazing weekend.
Thank you to Bear Valley Skyline Resort for providing lessons, rental equipment, food, and an overall incredible experience on the mountain. For a lot of our survivors, this was their first time skiing or snowboarding. There were some tense nerves at the beginning, but it did not take long before we started seeing confidence build. By the end of the day, they were trying new runs, supporting each other, and really owning it. Seeing that shift always makes these trips worth it. The majority of our group was out on the slopes the entire time, which was really fun to see.
After a full day on the mountain, we were hosted by Bear Valley Public Safety and taken on snowmobiles throughout the town. This is always a highlight for our group. It gave everyone a chance to have fun in a different way, laugh a lot, and just take in the experience together.
More than anything, this weekend was about connections. Watching the group show up for each other, celebrate the small wins, and step outside of their comfort zones in a real way is what stood out the most. We wrapped up the weekend with drinks from Gold Country Roasters, sitting around the gazebo in the park and sharing our favorite moments from the trip.
We also want to thank Stockton Fire Department Station 2, Ebbetts Pass Fire, Manteca Fire, and Arnolds Angels for feeding our group throughout the weekend. A special thank you to Murphys Fire for lodging us in their training center.
Another huge thank you to our awesome volunteers who made this weekend so special and safe for our campers.
Overall, we enjoyed a very meaningful weekend with an amazing community.