Vermont Adaptive details Rochester center, internships and $2M operating model

Erin Fernandez, executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, told the House committee that VHCB support allowed the nonprofit to acquire property in Rochester to develop an outdoor education and retreat center meant to anchor internships, training and year‑round adaptive recreation.

Fernandez said Vermont Adaptive operates on a roughly $2,000,000 annual budget, employs 17 full‑time staff, mobilizes 450 volunteers and provided more than 5,700 outings in 2025. The organization reported $230,000 in scholarships in 2025 and said program fees cover about 10% of its operating budget; the balance comes from donations and partnerships. "When you fund programs like the HCV, you're bringing access for housing, workforce development, recreation, and an economic impact to the communities that we work in," she told members.

Fernandez described plans to prepare an existing house on the Rochester site for interns, perform accessibility upgrades and use about 100–125 conserved acres for adaptive trails and camping. She said the center will help ensure certified recreation therapy students can complete clinical hours in Vermont instead of leaving for programs in Colorado or Utah and will support programs at Stratton, Sugarbush and Killington.

She told the committee the Rochester capital project is a distinct, one‑time “heavy lift” that VHCB helped make possible and that the acquisition will generate local economic activity once operational.

Committee members praised the program’s reach and asked questions about sustainability; Fernandez said the organization is building an endowment and continues to leverage partnerships and occasional state and federal capital support. No committee action was taken on the presentation.