Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Tag: Challenge Rec

  • Challenging the Rock with Denver Climbing Co. #ChallengeRec

    by

    Dan Burke

    Gene seen from above as he nears the top. Clear Creek visible far below.

    Late this spring we determined to bring challenge recreation back for our students. We set it aside for over a year for reasons of social distancing, etc. First, We arranged to go whitewater rafting in Idaho Springs, where we’d gone for almost ten years, and it was great to be back on Clear Creek with some old friends!

    Meanwhile, martin Becerrra-Miranda was tasked with finding a new company to guide our Independence Training Program students on rock climbing excursions.

    “I think these guys might be the ones,” Martin said after talking with Dan Krug of Denver Climbing Co. “They just get it.”… Read the rest “Challenging the Rock with Denver Climbing Co. #ChallengeRec”

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  • Horsing Around with Arapahoe County Sheriff Office’s mounted Unit @ArapahoeSO

    by

    Dan Burke

    Kelly in sleep shades and mask turns her head to her right while she brushes a white horse named Booger with her left hand. Booger is sticking his tongue out.

    Kelly in sleep shades and mask turns her head to her right while she brushes a white horse named Booger with her left hand. Booger is sticking his tongue out.

    Monday August 3 students and staff at the Colorado Center for the Blind met up with members of the Arapahoe County Sheriff Offices Mounted Unit at nearby Sterne Park. When Lt. Rich Anselmi, the unit’s commander first contacted Executive Director Julie Deden a while back about planning something together, Julie immediately reacted that it sounded like a lot of fun. She probably meant it would be fun for the students, too.

    Four deputies, all members of the Mounted Unit, and about 20 volunteers were on hand with eleven horses, two of which were miniatures and one a small pony. Students and staff all got up close with one of the horses to learn about the animal and the basics of grooming, which usually requires three different brushes.… Read the rest “Horsing Around with Arapahoe County Sheriff Office’s mounted Unit @ArapahoeSO”

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  • Catch These Words: Meet Current Student Holly Scott-Gardner & Words Worthy of Catching: @CatchTheseWords

    by

    Dan Burke

    Holly Scott-Gardner Hiking along Clear Creek on her first day at CCB

    Holly Scott-Gardner Hiking along Clear Creek on her first day at CCB

    Holly Scott-Gardner is from the United Kingdom. By many measures, she is a very successful woman, yet she wanted to come to the Colorado Center for the Blind for training. On her first day at the Center, she accepted the challenge to go rock climbing. She attended the National Federation of the Blind Convention with us in Las Vegas last month, and a few weeks ago attended a conference on blindness in Guadalajara, Mexico.

    We thought the best introduction to Holly would be to send you to her recent blog post about being at the Center. On her blog site, you can learn much more about her.… Read the rest “Catch These Words: Meet Current Student Holly Scott-Gardner & Words Worthy of Catching: @CatchTheseWords”

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  • From Motorcycles to the New Parking Lot to the #NFBCO18 Convention: Catching Up with All of Autumn

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB students and staff gather near a row of motorcycles lined up in front of the McGeorge Mountain Terrace Apartments

    CCB students and staff gather near a row of motorcycles lined up in front of the McGeorge Mountain Terrace Apartments

    There are lots of opportunities for students at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Some are part of the formal program, others staff and students develop out of their own interests and contacts. This fall activities like motorcycle rides and rock climbing were mixed in with graduations and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Convention, to name a few.

    Pictured above: On September 9 students had a chance to go for a motorcycle ride into the mountains. Members of the Sentinels Motorcycle Club loaded up students and took a tour as far as Indian Hills before returning for lunch at Wrigley’s Chicago Bar & Grill in golden.… Read the rest “From Motorcycles to the New Parking Lot to the #NFBCO18 Convention: Catching Up with All of Autumn”

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  • Thumbs Up for Scuba Divers!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Group of 14 in Scuba Gear in the corner of the pool smile and wave

    A group of seven Colorado Center for the blind students took a scuba lesson on August 31, thanks to the enthusiasm, organization and experience of one of their peers, Brian Bussard and A-1 Scuba and Aquatics Center in Littleton. In fact, A-1 donated the lesson, including gear and instructor time!

    Bussard, who came to CCB as a student six months ago, is already a certified diver. He has been for 10 years and loves the sport, but hadn’t been diving in the two years since he became blind, so it was as much his own motivation to get back to the sport as his desire to share it with his fellow students that resulted in his setting up the entire adventure.… Read the rest “Thumbs Up for Scuba Divers!”

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  • Belding Travels with Hockey Stick All the Way to the First U.S. #BlindHockey team #LivetheLifeYouWant @USAHockey

    by

    Dan Burke

    Daniel in full Hockey gear in action on the ice

    Daniel works the puck across the ice
    Daniel in full Hockey gear in action on the ice

     

    Since January, fans attending Colorado Avalanche games have been treated to between-periods video of the Try Blind Hockey Day on January 17. Over 50 blind Coloradans went out on the ice that day, some for the first time, others with a stick in their hand for the first time. Fans are impressed by the video, but it is little more than an historical artifact now.

    In just three short months, blind hockey has gone from being nonexistent in Colorado to a sport avidly pursued by dozens of players. And it’s produced a member of the newly-formed U.S. National Blind Hockey Team under the auspices of USA Hockey.… Read the rest “Belding Travels with Hockey Stick All the Way to the First U.S. #BlindHockey team #LivetheLifeYouWant @USAHockey”

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  • Taking It to the Net: CCB There at Start of Blind Hockey in Colorado @USAHockey

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB students go out on the ice in their hockey gear

    CCB students go out on the ice in their hockey gear

    Back in January the Colorado Avalanche hosted a “Try Hockey” event for prospective blind hockey players. It featured several blind hockey players from across Canada and the United States and was coordinated by USA Hockeyand the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association. Forty-two blind participants, including youth and some,like me, who were much older, took to the ice that day. About half of those participants came from CCB. You can read more about it in this article, Try-Blind-Hockey Day Another Example of How Hockey is for Everyone.

    The goal was to encourage amateur blind hockey in the area. It’s working!… Read the rest “Taking It to the Net: CCB There at Start of Blind Hockey in Colorado @USAHockey”

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  • Watch CCB Indoor Skydiving @iFLYDenver featured last night on @CBSDenver!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Leon Free Flying the I Fly Denver Wind Tunnel

    Leon Free Flying the I Fly Denver Wind Tunnel
    I-Fly Denver invited us over on Monday to take flight and learn about the science around wind tunnels and things like force and resistance. There was math involved, just saying.

    then we got to experience push and pull full-body, so to speak. Here’s a story from CBS Denver Channel 4 last night:

    Skydiving Business Helps Students At Center For The Blind

    Thanks to everyone at I-Fly Denver – we had a great time!

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  • A Stroll through the Corn Maze

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB Staff and Students at the Corn Maze 2017

    Students and staff took a Friday afternoon to visit the Chatfield Farms Corn Maze. Martin took his GoPro along and brought back this footage. It was “Structured Discovery” at its most fun!

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  • Youth Programs Receive Anonymous $10,000 Donation

    by

    Dan Burke

    Garret works with 3 summer students in the Gym on holding their canes properly

    Garret works with 3 summer students in the Gym on holding their canes properly

    Recently, we were elated to get notification that we had received an anonymous donation of $10,000 designated for our Youth Programs through our Colorado Gives portal. We often receive donations in this way and welcome every one of them. But such generous donations as this one are, not surprisingly, a little out of the norm. The anonymous donor left the following note, which meant a lot to our Youth Services staff as our summer youth programs were drawing to a close. We’ve edited the note slightly:

    I am pleased to be able to make another large donation this year. (I know) one of your alumni and seeing the incredible impact you have made in her life makes me want to give as much as I can.

    … Read the rest “Youth Programs Receive Anonymous $10,000 Donation”

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