If you can take a few minutes to read this please do..it is a great story.
Jennie Jacobson, a local Kalispell resident called the DREAM offices and shared her story.
Valerie Thrasher, Executive Assistant at DREAM answered the phone. Jennie knew at that moment she was making the right decision to set up a scholarship fund for her nephew who had just passed away from a wake boarding accident.
Ben was a very accomplished mountain biker, skier, and snowboarder. From an early age, Ben developed his skills and love of outdoor recreation by building his own practice jumps in his back yard. He was also deaf.
Ben attended The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, MA from the age of six months through elementary school. He completed high school at Dover-Sherborn High School in Dover MA. He was in his fourth year at the Rochester Institute of Technology and was deeply involved in community service projects at the time of his passing.
When Jennie visited us at our offices to discuss the details of the scholarship she brought up the point about Valerie answering the phone since Ben’s first name was Valentine. When bringing this up, Valerie explained to Jennie that her grandfather was named Valentine and that was who she was named after. Small world huh? Coincidence? NO this was meant to be.
To honor Ben’s life, his aunt, Jennie Jacobson, wishes to offer an annual snowboard scholarship to a Dream Adaptive Recreation athlete to enable him or her to participate in the Alpine Ski program at Whitefish Mountain Resort. The scholarship amount is $300 to fund the ten week ski program with Dream and to help purchase any winter “gear” needs.
Preference is given to applicants with a hearing impairment or those that are totally deaf but is not restricted to that requirement.
Applications are available on our website under the FORMS tab or by calling 406-862-1817 or emailing info@dreamadaptive.the-data.com The scholarship application must accompany a completed winter program application and insurance waiver, and be submitted by December 1 annually.
Send completed packets to: Dream Adaptive Recreation, Inc. PO Box 4084, Whitefish MT 59937
Dream Adaptive Recreation is honored to offer the “Ben Hollingsworth Honorary Scholarship”. Thank YOU Jennie for creating this fund to honor Ben and his accomplishments through outdoor recreation!
