This January, we invited our supporters to gather ’round the fire so-to-speak and hear from Directors, Dan and Adam, directly on Waypoint Adventure MA and NC updates, stories, news, and things we’re looking forward to in the future.
Some highlights:
Paul, a wheelchair user in NC, got to experience the freedom of full-control while hiking for the first time. Stories of discovering freedom and opportunity are happening all the time!
Memories from our first year in 2010: trying to file for 501c(3) status, borrowing Annie Combs’ minivan and denting it, launching our Education Program in Boston Public Schools.
Supporters still with us: Jim Cubeta still donating rental vans for transporting participants.
Launched NC branch in 2023. The next year, ran 38 programs and served 213 participants. Big partners include NC State Parks, Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway. Just received $270,000 from Dogwood Health Trust to start Leaders-In-Training program and Waypoint Education Program.
MA branch up to 14 staff, 300+ programs, 2000+ participants served last year.
MA branch – waiting list for many programs, Cross Country ski season filled up before first program.
Serving more people with Spinal Cord Injuries, doing more cycling.
You can get involved by sharing Waypoint’s story! Participate in MA or NC, Volunteer in MA or NC, or Donate!
2025 is going to be a big year and we hope you join us for the adventure. Thank you to all 75+ of you who attended and participated in the Q and A.
Welcome new partners! Our branch in Black Mountain, NC has been making fast friends. Western North Carolina is brimming with opportunity for adaptive adventure and the community is welcoming Waypoint Adventure with open arms. Just last month the following partnerships are flourishing:
We kicked off a program partnership with North Carolina State Parks to run trainings for their park rangers, adventure programs for participants, and consult on accessible trails and equipment. Thanks to their backing of this worthy mission, NC is becoming more accessible to all!
The Outdoor Business Alliance has been so helpful as we’ve navigated the outdoor industry web in Western North Carolina. We are deeply grateful for their willingness to help promote our events and make connections to the local community.
The team from Price Lake Rentals joined one of our recent Inclusion and Access trainings. Since that training they’ve offered their beautiful dock and accessible launch on Price Lake as a future program site! You won’t find a more genuine, eager, and welcoming team. If you’re in the Blowing Rock area – go check them out!
https://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/North-Carolina-State-Parks-Logo.jpg438438JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2024-09-16 12:02:192024-09-23 15:23:47New Partnerships in North Carolina
In MassNonprofit News, it’s been announced that, for the second year in a row, Waypoint Adventure has received a grant of $100,000 from the James B. Boskey Memorial Foundation to support and expand open enrollment programming and professional development opportunities for staff.
“This support comes at such a crucial time. Requests for programming are pouring in. This partnership with the James B. Boskey Memorial Foundation will allow our staff to continue expanding the services we provide to our diverse community with the highest level of professional expertise in everything we do. We’re thrilled!”
These funds will provide critical support and will enable our team to respond to the demand for programs serving individuals and families affected by disability. Thank you James B. Boskey Memorial Foundation!
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2024-02-08 21:46:062024-02-08 21:46:06Waypoint Adventure receives $100K from the James B. Boskey Memorial Foundation
Zoe Spiegel has been a Waypoint participant since 2021 when she tried snowshoeing for the first time along side her mom at Weston Ski Track. Then, in 2023, she braved the snow again on skis!
Zoe at Weston Ski Track with Trip Leader Brenda writing her name in the snow
Zoe and mom, Mira, standing together on snowshoes smiling at Weston Ski Track
Zoe and Waypoint staff/volunteers on skis!
Zoe’s family was so impressed with her snowshoeing and skiing experiences, that Zoe’s mom, Mira, arranged for a grant from the Needham Education Foundation to fund a Waypoint Adventure School Series for Zoe and her peers at Needham High School! So far, they’ve had awesome Waypoint-led Team Building and Indoor Rock Climbing adventures!
Now, Zoe is channeling her bracelet-making skills into raising funds so that other adults on the autism spectrum and/or with disabilities also have access to the adventures that give her such a sense of accomplishment.
Mira shared, “For Zoe to be able to walk away having learned how to do something gives her a real sense of accomplishment.We wanted to make sure that Zoe’s enterprise, Zo Much More, could give back to the organization that gave her so much.“
Zo Much More is a family-owned and operated social enterprise powered by Zoe herself. Like so many other individuals with ASD, she is capable of so much more than she is often given credit for. Zo Much More provides a platform for Zoe to demonstrate some of her strengths (making custom bracelets, assembling kits, etc.) and hopefully create a model for others. Zo Much More selects different charity partners – like Waypoint Adventure – who are committed to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and donates 20% of their topline revenue to those charity partners. Zoe also designs a customized “Spirit Bracelet” for each charity partner – and her custom-made Waypoint “blue and green” bracelet was a huge hit. Zo Much More recently made their largest charity partner donation since the inception of their business when they donated $1,037 to Waypoint Adventure!
The Waypoint Blue and Green Spirit Bracelet
Thank you, Zoe, for all your hard work making bracelets and selling them so that people with disabilities can have access to meaningful adventures!
If you want a Waypoint blue and green spirit bracelet, Zo Much More will make you one! Head over to ZoMuchMore.com to request one or shop from Zoe’s extensive collection of beautiful jewelry.
Click a picture to read caption
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2024-01-19 15:00:262024-01-19 15:00:26One Participant Selling Bracelets for Waypoint
If ever there was a year when we wanted to look you in the eyes instead of writing a letter, this is it. What a year it’s been!
We’re excited to announce that Waypoint Adventure Co-Founder Adam Combs has rejoined the Waypoint team to spearhead the launch of Waypoint Adventure in North Carolina! In November, the NC team will begin programming in the Southern Appalachians, a region brimming with space for more adaptive recreation opportunities.
You see, the success of Waypoint in New England is because of supporters like you. Our shared desire to make outdoor adventures accessible to everyone has inspired us to expand to this beautiful region.
Our Impact
For over a decade, Waypoint Adventure has been a beacon of hope and a place of learning for countless individuals with disabilities in the Greater Boston area. In fact, this year we’ve served a record 1,809 participants on 213 adventures. We’ve developed partnerships with organizations like the Boston Public Schools, Appalachian Mountain Club, Trustees of Reservations, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, and many others.
We’re keenly aware that as exciting as growth is, we have a responsibility to the long-term care and maintenance of what we’re creating. Over the last year we’ve had two donors make the two largest-ever investments into Waypoint’s mission. These gifts inspired us to conceptualize a 3-year strategic plan, welcome two new members to the Board of Directors, and hire incredible program team members to help us steward these investments and navigate the challenges that come with growth.
Our Ask
As Waypoint looks to the future, we are grateful for your support and excited to invite you into our newest exploration. Will you support us in this journey of further impact and growth?
Thank you for believing in the power of adventure. Your support will free what’s possible!
Sincerely,
Dan Minnich, Co-Founder & Waypoint Executive Director
Adam Combs, Co-Founder & Waypoint North Carolina Director
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2023-12-30 13:45:112023-12-30 13:45:11A Letter From Dan and Adam
Waypoint Adventure North Carolina’s Launch Party was a remarkable celebration of community, inclusion, and the spirit of adventure. Over 140 people braved the winter weather to celebrate the expansion of Waypoint’s accessible adventure programming into Western North Carolina.
The event took place in Black Mountain, NC thanks to the support of the WNC Outdoor Collective.
It was a cold night, but the warmth of a strong community made this milestone moment one for the books. It was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm of the people who came to support this mission to empower people with disabilities and make our community more accessible, through outdoor adventure programming.
A highlight of the evening was a surprise announcement about a significant donation from the Jack Tarver Family Foundation toward the successful launch of Waypoint Adventure North Carolina.
On top of that, our friends at Eurosport Asheville joined this initiative with an additional and amazing gift!
Because of these key supporters, the support of the WNC Outdoor Collective, and several individual donations, the event raised just under $16,000!
As we reflect on the success of the North Carolina Launch Party, we extend our gratitude to everyone involved—participants, supporters, volunteers, and partners. Your dedication and support are the driving force behind making these adventures possible.
We look forward to embarking on this new chapter, knowing that the path ahead is paved with the support of a strong and caring community. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey towards inclusion and adventure!
Warm regards,
The Waypoint Adventure NC Team!
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2023-12-08 11:16:022023-12-08 11:16:02Celebrating Inclusion and Adventure: Waypoint Adventure North Carolina Launch Party Recap
We’re grateful for our partnership with Charles River Recreation! CRR houses the outdoor recreation companies Paddle Boston and Weston Ski Track. For many years we’ve been using Paddle Boston sites all over the Greater Boston area. Only in more recent years, as we’ve acquired more adaptive snow equipment, have we partnered with Weston Ski Track to provide accessible snow sports to the community. People with disabilities and their families who want to recreate together are often met with challenges when showing up for a private or group recreation activity. Waypoint and companies like Charles River Recreation can provide access, adaptive equipment, differentiated instruction, individual or group programming for all ages and all abilities.
Participants with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Developmental Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, Limb Differences, Paraplegia, Spinal Cord Injuries, Brain Injuries and more can all participate in the fun and freedom of kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, sit-skiing, and hiking thanks to partnerships that use their strengths in unison.
Weston Ski Track
Paddle Boston
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2023-11-16 12:37:302023-11-16 12:37:30Waypoint Partnership with Charles River Recreation
Two childhood friends are back to run the same race they used to run as kids. But this time, as a team. Drew Smith and Luke DiLillo will be participating in the 2023 Falmouth Road Race on August 20th in the wheelchair duo division.
Drew Smith was diagnosed with Acanthocytosis Chorea, a rare neurodegenerative disease, 10 years ago. According to Luke, despite the set backs, and challenges, Drew perseveres and is an inspiration for those who support him. They are looking forward to raising awareness about Acanthocytosis Chorea and are running to support Waypoint Adventure.
Drew and Luke will be using the Hoyt Running Chair seen below. Cheer them on as they get ready for August 20th!
Read more about Drew’s story at his blog, Living Rare, here.
On April 27th, 2023, Pete Quinn spoke about why adventure should be accessible to everyone. Hear his powerful words! (Or read them below).
Intro: Pete Quinn grew up in an active family as the youngest of 5 children. He was on skis at age 2, and his childhood days were filled with a variety of family adventures, from skiing to tennis to family softball and football, skating on ponds and the occasional scuffle with his older brother as they fouled each other in their 1 on 1 basketball face-offs.
Pete went on to be a dual sport athlete at UNH (skiing and tennis), after which he taught Math and coached at a ski racing academy in New Hampshire. Pete eventually returned to UNH for graduate school and pursued a professional career with a handful of consulting firms in the areas of business development and corporate strategy. Weekends were spent coaching ski racing in winter and bike racing in summer. Pete eventually worked as an independent consultant, allowing him to spend more time raising his 3 children.
Outdoor adventure has always been a critical part of Pete’s life—a key piece of his identity, his DNA. It is one of the places that is “home” to his soul. So, when a disease that progressively attacks the body showed up on his doorstep in 2015 and began taking away his ability to move– a new, often dark, chapter of his life began…”
Pete has Primary Lateral Sclerosis, a very rare, progressive neurological disease that mimics ALS and Parkinson’s Disease, yet with an unknown trajectory. We’ve asked him to speak about “why making adventures accessible to everyone is important”
Freedom & Equality…
Freedom…& Equality…
Are two rights I’ve taken for granted most of my whole life… For most of my 62 years. Sixty two!
That all changed one day in December of 2015. That day when I got the very first symptom of my disease – very, very small. I remember the day well. I remember where I was and exactly what I was doing. I remember the solitary nature of that moment….perhaps FORESHADOWING the road ahead of me.
Over the next several years, the disease progressed. The most obvious signs are physical, … I became unable to do many of the things that give me joy, the things that fill my soul, the things that fuel a fire within me– I couldn’t ride my bike, I couldn’t ski, I couldn’t kick the soccer ball around with my son, Luke, or my daughters Kara & Alexa…I couldn’t exercise with my beloved kettlebells!…Today, I struggle to walk with my walker. I KNOW THERE IS MORE AHEAD…
There were other changes. Not only was the disease stripping me of the things I love to do, the things that gave me joy… But, my phone stopped ringing; people began to avoid me; It was harder to go to places where people gathered. I began to feel like a like a prisoner; my world was closing in…I suddenly found myself ISOLATED, ALONE, and LONELY.
I had become disabled before my very eyes. The words “CAN NOT” invaded my world…I cannot do this, I cannot do that. Every day was something new.
What I needed to hear was “Yes you can, Bro!” Yes you will. You will ride a bike again. Maybe not the same bike you rode before. You will ski again! Maybe not standing up, but you will ski.
Waypoint says, “Yes, you can!” Waypoint says, “Yes, you will!”
I carried on… Those years were hard… But I also learned something very quickly. I learned that every day I need to smile. Every day, I need to laugh. But I don’t have great days every day. In fact, I have bad days. I don’t always want to smile. I know, hard to believe! I don’t always have the boisterous laugh that some of you may have heard. That my friends refer to as my OBNOXIOUS laugh. In a loving way, of course.
It’s true, I have bad days. I have dark days. Dark days when I feel trapped like a caged animal. I feel like I’m ALIVE BUT NOT LIVING—like I’m just existing; just taking up SPACE…like my existence DOESN’T MATTER…I have no purpose. Like I’m on the sidelines of life without ANY chance of every getting into the game again.
BUT ON MY BEST DAYS, I feel like…like I did on October 12, 2022… when I went on a bike ride with Waypoint.
There’s the magic. The Waypoint magic. I’ll tell you exactly what that felt like:
I felt ALIVE and like I was LIVING
I felt JOY
I felt CARED FOR
I felt SUPPORTED
I felt PASSION
I felt FIRE
I felt HOPE
I felt…FREE
I felt…EQUAL
I felt COMMUNITY!
That’s Waypoint right there. Those are the gifts that Waypoint is giving to the Disabled.
In-fact, those are the gifts that ALL OF YOU are giving to the Disabled. Whether you give money, or whether you volunteer your time and effort… or whether you lend emotional and moral support. These are the gifts you are giving. You are breathing the life into the souls of the Disabled. I REPEAT, you are BREATHING THE LIFE INTO THE SOULS OF THE DISABLED.
I can think of NO more worthy cause …THANK YOU.
Check out pictures from the night…
If you didn’t get a chance to come to the event, but would like to make a donation, thank you! Click below.
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2023-05-02 14:38:032023-05-02 14:38:03Freedom and Equality – Why making adventure accessible to EVERYONE is important
Max came kayaking with Waypoint for the first time in summer of 2018 with Newton Public Schools. During his first kayaking program, he felt nervous and stressed and did not want to go out on the water. Along with Max’s teacher, our staff encouraged him to try sitting in the boat on land to start. Over the next hour, Max slowly built up to being able to sit in the boat on land for one minute at a time, starting with 10 seconds, then increasing intervals. He never entered the water or held a paddle.
Each summer, Waypoint selects a goal to focus on across all kayaking programs. In 2018, it was the summer of courage. We celebrated Max’s courage to try kayaking, even though he never got out on the water.
Four years later, Newton Public Schools came kayaking again. Waypoint staff met with Max’s teacher ahead of the program and identified our goal for Max’s next kayaking experience: to have him sit in a boat, on the water, for a few minutes at a time.
On the day of the program, we met the group at Walden Pond and discussed our goal for summer of 2022: growth. When it was time to get into boats, Max blew everyone away. He calmly got into the boat, listened to a demonstration on how to paddle, and headed out on the water with the rest of the group, paddling with his boat partner as they enjoyed the sunshine and crystal clear water of the pond. We later received an email from Max’s family that read, “Max had such a great time and keeps talking about how he wants to go back to the ‘little boat’! YOU MADE OUR SUMMER!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!”
At Waypoint, we believe challenge leads to growth. We also believe in challenge by choice, meaning each individual gets to decide how they would like to challenge themselves. Max started with small steps, and through slow exposure, experienced huge success on his own terms. What started with courage, ended with growth. Max is already signed up for more kayaking this summer, and we can’t wait to see all the ways he continues to grow!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2022-08-17 13:04:182022-08-17 13:04:18Max’s Story of Courage and Growth
