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Another great Buddy outing

Dear Editor:

For the third consecutive year, the Buddy Program organized an overnight stay at Up 4 Pizza on Snowmass Mountain for a small group of Buddy Pairs with the help and support of Aspen Skiing Co.

As program coordinator for the Buddy Program, I had the privilege of accompanying this year’s group on the overnight trip, which took place Feb. 19. And for the third consecutive year, we had a fantastic time. The activities we offer to our Big and Little Buddies are designed to build trust and open communication between the Buddy Pairs as well as give children the opportunity to improve their self-esteem. We couldn’t have asked for more fun and adventure in one 24-hour period!



Our solid group of five Buddy Pairs met a snow cat on Friday afternoon that transported us and all of our gear up to the High Alpine restaurant. We ate delicious pizzas and Caesar salad, and received a brief indoor presentation from ski patrol about the roles of avalanche rescue dogs. We played cards, baked cookies and drank tea before winding down the night with a Big Buddy versus Little Buddy game of charades. The wind howled throughout the night as the firewood crackled in the stove.

The morning came with lots of powder and everyone rallied at 6 a.m. Our group skied down Sneaky’s run, followed by Upper and Lower Slot in nearly a foot of fresh snow! The sun started shining on us when we were about halfway down the mountain. We did a bit of hiking and adventuring, only adding to the already memorable experience. Our group of 12 stuck together and supported each other from start to finish.




A big thank you to Aspen Skiing Co., Steve Sewell, Dick Piffer, Stan Tener, Lund Easterling, Randy Kimmel, Snowmass Ski Patrol and everyone at Snowmass Mountain who helped make this trip possible for our Buddy Pairs.

Heather Hicks

program coordinator, The Buddy Program