stevebaskis

Hey everybody, it has been a while since i've made a post, so here's the update.

The first 4 months of the year have been busy. Adaptive Adventures hosted a snow board and ski camp in Steam Boat Springs, Colorado in January. I had the awesome opportunity to snowboard some of the slopes and get a feel for blind snow boarding. I really hope to board again in the near future, carving snow was a blast.

If you have a disability, or an interest in helping people, visit:
Adaptive Adventures Website:
http://www.adaptiveadventures.org/

Not long after the snowboarding trip I traveled back out to Colorado, this time to Boulder to view or listen in my case, to the High Ground documentary. The film was truly amazing, both informative and uplifting in my mind. I remember the crowd crying, laughing and cheering through the different segments. The film won two awards and is continuing to premiere in different places across the country.

Visit: http://www.highgroundmovie.com/ to watch the trailer and find the next premiere location.

I returned to Colorado for a third time in March to snow ski with USABA (The United States Association of Blind Athletes). USABA is a great organization! The association has sponsored many of my athletic trips and helped me live life again through sports, recreation and physical fitness.

USABA Website:
http://www.usaba.org/

Follow the link below to view a youtube video about my trip to ski, or watch the embedded clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7_gNLKrF6s

Towards the end of March I traveled to the BVA Headquarters (Blinded Veterans Association), located in Washington D.C. My mission was to fight for more funding for Combat Related Eye Trauma Research. A good friend who works for the BVA helped me with this endeavor, actually he is responsible for my visit and has been working capitol hill for some time now. Hopefully, we made some sort of impression with the Senators and Congressman we spoke with.

BVA Website:
http://www.bva.org/


If you follow the below link, you should be able to view a photo of myself and Senator Dick Durbin:
http://durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/photos?ID=e8b6c8da-a7f8-434e-9122-92b50a6de27c

Here in the near future I will be traveling out of the country on an exchange program. The program deals with blindness and rehabilitation and will provide me with a foreign perspective. Once I return from the trip, I will write about my experience, but until next time, take care.

Deuces,
Steve

The Mission Continues challenges veterans to utilize their skills and leadership to continue serving our country at home. Currently they are looking for veterans in the Chicago area who are interested in serving their local communities, if you know a veteran or veterans who might be interested, point them in the right direction.

The Mission Continues
http://www.missioncontinues.org

follow the below link to read more about THE MISSION CONTINUES:
http://www.missioncontinues.org/About/About_Us

Video about THE MISSION CONTINUES

Modern Drummer asked me to post a message on their blog, follow the link below to view it:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2012/01/steve-baskis/#.Tyf43ZihDzI

take it easy,
blind guy

Soldiers to the Summit Expedition

Please check out the film's website:

http://www.highgroundmovie.com/

From Stone Circle Pictures and Serac Adventure Films, the documentary is an official selection of the prestigious Boulder International Film Festival. The premiere showing at the Festival, at 5:00 p.m. in the historic Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder, Colorado, on February 18th 2012.

http://www.soldierstothesummit.org

Soldiers to the Summit Seeks Applicants for 2012 Program
Looking for personal growth and adventure? Looking for a way to help fellow injured service men and women? Look no further, Soldiers to the Summit (S2S) is looking for you.

Soldiers to the Summit began in 2010 when Erik Weihenmayer—the only blind person to climb the highest mountain on each continent—and his Everest team celebrated the tenth anniversary of their historic climb. Together they led a group of disabled soldiers, all injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the summit of Lobuche, a 20,100-foot peak in Nepal. Injuries included amputations, traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and blindness.

The S2S Lobuche Expedition was a tremendous success, with seven out of ten soldiers reaching the summit. This expedition is the subject of a major feature film, called “High Ground”, which highlights the challenges faced by the soldiers as they work to return home after life-changing injuries. A year later, the team continues to work together to inspire others.

This year we are building further on that success with our second program, culminating with a summit climb of Cotopaxi, a spectacular 19,347-foot mountain in Ecuador in early December 2012. Your commitment will begin next year with at least two training trips in Colorado during the spring and fall. On these trips you will meet and build your team along with mentors from the Lobuche journey.

If you are selected, all group travel expenses and equipment will be provided. However, this is not just a free adventure. Your full commitment is essential, and the S2S program requires you to make significant contributions. You will be required to attend several training sessions, you may be asked to travel and speak to sponsor organizations, lead workshops at rehab hospitals, schools or disability programs, and become a mentor for future participants. This is a physically demanding program and although no prior climbing experience is required, good fitness is essential. You will help to spread the message and advance the mission of the S2S program.

Soldiers to the Summit is unlike any other adventure and will reward you with a lifetime of memories and the skills that will propel you forward on your own journey. To apply, please return a completed application and two letters of recommendation to the address below. If you like, a short video introducing you would also be considered.

Soldiers to the Summit

c/o 601 16th Street, Unit C

Box 167

Golden, CO 80401



Application deadline is February 17, 2012. If you have questions about S2S, contact Program Director Charley Mace by email at cm@soldierstothesummit.org. Learn more at http://www.SoldiersToTheSummit.org or http://www.facebook.com/SoldierstotheSummit