"Miracles on a Mountainside" Are Waiting for You (Reprinted from the September/October issue of the DAV Magazine)

Miracles on a Mountainside and lots of fun and excitement are waiting for you at the 19th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village, Colo., from April 3-8, 2005.

"Don't put off signing up for the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic," National Director of Voluntary Services Edward E. Hartman said. "It's a wonderful opportunity for disabled veterans to accomplish more than they ever dreamed possible while experiencing challenging and exciting recreational activities designed to enhance rehabilitation."

"The 2005 winter sports clinic will be a life-changing event for every severely disabled veteran who attends. It's a time when veterans push to their limits and beyond to experience victory over challenge after challenge, making miracles on a mountainside come true. And it's all done on a snow-covered mountain alongside other disabled veterans who quickly become friends and fans. The winter sports clinic is a week on the snow-covered slopes of the Rocky Mountains that you will be smiling about for a long time to come.

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is sponsored each year by the DAV and the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is open to all U.S. military veterans with severe disabilities, including spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, traumatic head injuries, and orthopedic amputations. Veterans in inpatient or outpatient status at a VA in inpatient or outpatient status at a VA medical center (VAMC) receive first priority to attend the clinic.

Registration packets to attend the clinic may be obtained through the Recreation Therapy Service at any VAMC. They maybe be obtained by contacting Sandy Trombetta, National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic Director, VA Medical Center, 2121 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501, or telephone (907) 244-1314, or email santo.trombetta@med.va.gov.

Applications to attend must be postmarked no later than December 15, 2004.

Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic may obtain information from the DAV Voluntary Services Department, 807 Maine Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20024, by telephoning (202 554-3501, or email ehartman@davmail.org.

A growing number of DAV and Auxiliary Chapter, Units, and Departments have joined with corporate and individual sponsors to make the clinic more successful than ever before. After nearly two decades, thousands of severely disable veterans have participated in the winter sports clinic. It remains the best opportunity for profoundly disabled veterans to learn adaptive downhill and cross-country skiing, and other activities, such as sled hockey, scuba diving, rock climbing, horseback riding and attend informative seminars.

"Past participants agree the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is second to none when it comes to fun, excitement and challenge," Hartman said. "Make this your year for Miracles on a Mountainside at the 19th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. Sign up today!"

The Department of Defense Stresses Troop Support Mail

The Department of Defense announced the continued suspension of the "Any Service Member" mail program. Accordingly, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to service members during the holiday season. During this time of the year, the number of donation programs increases and causes mail from families and friends to be mixed with mail from unknown sources resulting in delivery delays.

DoD continues to emphasize that names and addresses of military service members must not be distributed by the media, web sites, companies, non-profit organizations, schools and individuals for the purpose of collecting letters of support or donations for mailing to service members.

Service members should receive mail only from those friends and family members to whom they personally give their address. Military addresses should not be passed around by family members for use by donation programs. Unknown mailers could then obtain those addresses and mail harmful items to service members.

For these reasons, DoD continues to indefinitely suspend general donation programs from unknown mailers. Americans who don't have loved ones deployed overseas can still show support during the holidays by other means. A list of these programs is available at: http://www.defendamerica.mil .

To guarantee mail arrives in time for end of year holidays, family members are encouraged to view the mailing guidelines at: http:www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2004/pb22138.pdf.

Remember to mail your Holiday packages early!

Holiday Mail for Our Service Men and Women Overseas

The Department of Defense has announced the recommended mailing dates for ensuring that your holiday cards and packages for service members arrive overseas in time for the holiday season.

"To ensure delivery to APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest mail be sent by the recommended dates provided by the U.S. Postal Service," said Mark DeDomenic, the Assistant Deputy Director and Deputy Director and Chief of Pperations for the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) in Washington, DC. "Beat the last minute rush by bringing your mail to your local post office by the dates recommended by the U.S. Postal Service. Contact the U.S. Postal Service for the dates.

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