Guardian Revival partnered with Hudson Valley ShredVets and the Thunder Ridge Ski Area to host a free family snow day for local veterans & first responders and their families.

We had a total of 45 participants for our first family snow day in February: 25 guardians and 15 family members came out to ski and snowboard, and an additional guardian and 4 family members enjoyed the ski lodge and each other’s company.

Skiing & Snowboarding Day at Thunder Ridge

Thunder Ridge Ski Area has 22 trails, 3 chairlifts, and 4 magic carpets, so there were plenty of options for slow, gentle slopes for beginners as well as advanced trails for experienced, adventurous skiers & snowboarders.

For our snow day, Thunder Ridge provided complimentary lift tickets for all of the guardians, which was fantastic! It was a special opportunity for our guardians to connect with each other and to ShredVets.

During our snow day, both ShredVets and Thunder Ridge provided free lessons for anyone who wanted them, which made the day so rewarding for everyone. The instructors at Thunder Ridge were kind enough to volunteer their time and stayed all day to get runs in with our guardians.

Veteran & First Responder Feedback on our Winter Sports Snow Day

We asked our guardian participants to share their thoughts about the experience with us, and we were thrilled to hear how much they enjoyed our snow day:

“Two thumbs up to our ShredVets instructor, Ron Haas. He was aces. Also, Steven the Ski School instructor gave me some confidence on the slope that I didn’t have starting out.”
“[It was great] having an afternoon on the slopes with my son and spending time with other veterans.”
“Within the GR community, we often speak on how important it is to get outside and get in touch with nature. I am a person that really pushes myself physically with workouts and exercise but this often takes place in a gym. I do cardio and run on the treadmill for the endorphins but I really have been having some issues sleeping recently. Well, after an afternoon of snowboarding lessons, I slept like a baby. The fresh air really made the difference along with the physicality and showed me that I really need to get outside more - NOT just rely on the gym for my mental health.”
“I enjoyed this experience with my family. The facilitators were there to greet and direct us. The staff at Thunder Ridge, fantastic and helpful. The ski instructors were very patient and informative as [were the] Shred Vet instructors.”
“Facility was ready for us and the instructors were godsends! My daughters learned so much.”
“I enjoyed the look on the faces of the participants, especially the kids as they were out having a fun day of skiing and riding. It was very rewarding to be a part of this event and bring the experience to fellow guardians and their families.”
“Everyone was welcoming and I didn't feel like a 3rd wheel [being on my own].”
“I grew up learning to ski/snowboard at Big Birch (now Thunder Ridge). It was special for me and my son to come back to where I started. We didn’t use the instructors but I thought it was great that you had them available.”
“The instructors are so patient and I cannot stress how grateful I am for their time and attention. [Let’s do] more!”

ShredVets Hudson Valley Veterans Snow Sports Program

For our family snow day event, we partnered with ShredVets: a volunteer, veteran-run, veteran-only snowsports peer group that offers small group outings at no-cost and for all levels.

ShredVets seek to get veterans together in small groups, outdoors for skiing or snowboarding, regardless of skill level. The cost of these sports can be prohibitive, and ShredVet's generous contributors donate most of the high cost items to make these activities more accessible.
The goal is to get vets enjoying the winter outdoors with peers — but we know that other good things can come from being out there together: camaraderie, sense of team, mutual support, learning a new skill, fitness, new friends, and more.

Get involved with Guardian Revival

Guardian Revival is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization chartered to revive and preserve the mental health and well-being of veterans and first responders — our guardians — at no cost to them.

We welcome all guardians (active & retired): Veterans, Active Military, Reserve, National Guard, Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, EMS, Dispatchers, Corrections, and Federal Agents to join our free events (virtual & in-person).

Based on this wonderfully successful event & the enthusiastic feedback, we are already planning more partner events with ShredVets in the future — a repeat at Thunder Ridge as well as hitting the slopes on another larger mountain. In the meantime, we hope you’ll join us online and across the Hudson Valley at our other events: