Deaf, hard of hearing young skiers/boarders return to Mt. Bachelor
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- This Presidents Day weekend, a group of people from all over the Northwest who share common attitudes, interests and goals will be coming together at Mt. Bachelor for the seventh annual CamPAH. CamPAH is a ski/snowboarding weekend program for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, run by Oregon Adaptive Sports.
The program, CamPAH, captures the sign “PAH” in its name, which in American Sign Language means “finally” or “success at last” in a positive and upbeat way. This sign echoes everyone’s sentiments about CamPAH, a program largely unmatched on the national level.
Upon arrival, campers often describe an immediate sense of connection and a shared understanding of what it means to be deaf because the program is also run by adults who are deaf, hard of hearing and/or deaf allies. Over the weekend the adults and campers become a tight-knit group of people, unified towards building lasting memories, confidence, self-esteem and life-long adventure seekers, all while celebrating our culture and community.
“I still remember the first time I met a deaf adult when I was young,” says Cara Frank, the facilitator of CamPAH. “Her efforts inspired me to carry out this program and create a space for that mentorship to happen.”
This year, we have more campers and a stronger deaf-centric volunteer base than ever before. We have also seen our goal of creating lifelong adventure seekers come to life, as two campers are coming back as volunteers, ready to share their experience with the next generation of participants.
CamPAH is made possible by Quota, an amazing local nonprofit charity focused on empowering youth, women and the deaf and hard of hearing population.
About Oregon Adaptive Sports
Oregon Adaptive Sports is a year-round organization that has been breaking barriers in Central Oregon since 1996, providing people with disabilities and their families’ opportunities for outdoor recreation. Our goal is to nurture the human spirit and foster self-confidence and independence. We currently offer instructional programs in alpine skiing, snowboarding, nordic skiing and snowshoeing, as well as summer programs in mountain biking, climbing, golf, cycling, kayaking, and hiking. To prevent cost from being a barrier to participation, we rely on the support of hundreds of volunteers, businesses, donors and sponsors.
