ADDISON COUNTY — The 13th Annual Kelly Brush Ride powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations raised $596,000 for adaptive sports and ski racing safety. More than 900 cyclists and 25 adaptive athletes participated in the Sept. 8 event in Middlebury and environs making it the largest fundraiser to date for the Kelly Brush Foundation.
“We are grateful for this incredible level of support both in the number of riders and funds raised,” said Zeke Davisson, executive director of the Kelly Brush Foundation. “This support goes directly to enabling people with spinal cord injuries to lead active and empowered lives. It also allows us to do more to advocate for ski racing safety, educate about safety best practices and award grants to improve safety.”
The event, which this year included a golf scramble for the first time, funds the foundation’s two programs: the Active Fund, which provides grants for the purchase of adaptive sports equipment for people with spinal cord injuries, and the ski racing safety program.
The Active Fund has awarded more than 650 grants in 47 states. The foundation has also awarded more than 150 grants to improve ski racing safety in every state with alpine racing venues and funded more than 15 miles of safety “B” netting to make courses safer.
The Kelly Brush Ride powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations is made possible thanks to the generosity of many participants, volunteers and sponsors including the event’s hosts on the Middlebury Ski Team and more than 30 other generous sponsors.
The Kelly Brush Foundation was founded in 2006 by Kelly and her family after Kelly sustained a spinal cord injury while racing in an NCAA alpine ski race for the Middlebury College ski team.