The Kirstie Ennis Foundation

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The Kirstie Ennis Foundation

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To inspire perseverance and encourage potential through education and healing in the outdoors
TKEF
(1)

At The Kirstie Ennis Foundation, we:
– Provide education, opportunity, and healing in the outdoors through our recreational therapy clinics and expeditions
– Introduce new and recycled medical device technology to underserved communities around the world
– Partner with organizations with similar missions of improving the quality of life of individuals through mobility

07/04/2026

On July 4, 1776, fifty-six patriots signed the Declaration of Independence, pledging "their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor" in pursuit of liberty. Their courage changed the course of history and gave birth to a nation founded on the belief that all are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights.

The American story has never been one of perfection, but of perseverance—of citizens who have continually worked to preserve liberty, strengthen the Union, and pass the blessings of freedom to the next generation.
Today, may we proudly fly our flag, cherish our freedoms, remember the sacrifices that made them possible, and celebrate the enduring spirit of the United States of America.

Happy Fourth of July, and here's to 250 years of freedom, courage, and the enduring promise of America.

❤️,
TKEF

05/10/2026

To all the Mother's we have welcomed into our clinics, the ones on our board, our sponsors, donors, and the ones who have volunteered to support TKEF over the years- we see you and we celebrate you for all that being a Mother encapsulates.
Happy Mother's Day!
❤️, TKEF

03/06/2026

We love hearing from our alumni on their experiences within our clinics. We work hard to provide the needed space for every participant and meet them where they are at to ensure their time with us is successful. Whatever goal they set for themselves; whether it is snowboarding, connection, time in nature, healing, we always want to offer the time to meet those goals in the short time we have them with us.

Melissa recently shared her experience with a group of Navajo Nation Women Veterans and she allowed us to share her experience with all of you too.

We are beyond grateful to meet and know these incredible women. The Lady Vets are a truly remarkable group and we hope to always honor their service and sacrifice.

03/01/2026

One of the most common representations of the human capacity to overcome, showing resilience, perseverance is that we will all fall, but it is how we get back up that matters most.

In snowboarding there are epic falls, some leave bruises, but in the beginning it is more mental than physical. It is the barriers inside, that voice you listen to that can get in your way or propel you to achieving your goal. We have a saying in TKEF, always leave on a good note.

This is not an easy sport to learn, you will fall, you will struggle, you will hurt; but when you start breaking through everything inside telling you that you can't, you realize you can and do.
It is an inspiring event to witness.

The lady vet community are not like others, they far too often do not get their seat at the table, but they damn sure deserve one. They are the epitome of strength in motion, unwavering gumption and tenacity.

Our Program Lead- .photo created a trophy for Best Fall. To lean into the humor of one of the hurdles in learning to snowboard. We had a ton of fun picking the winner each night.

There is immense value in pushing past comfortable, falling, and recognizing you have the ability to get up and try again.
See our stories for more on this

02/27/2026

A stay in Glenwood Springs is historic in one of the oldest hotels in Colorado. Hotel Colorado Hotel Colorado has been a long time supporter of The Kirstie Ennis Foundation and for the second year in a row the ladies have found a unique space to rest after their day on the mountain.

The delicious Barons Restaurant is off the lobby for the ladies to fuel up after burning major energy while snowboarding. Thank you to First Draft, Inc. for sponsoring our dinner at Barons. First Draft, Inc. - Residential & Commercial Design Services

The history of the hotel is long and in 1943 until the end of World War II, it was commissioned as the US Naval Convalescent Hospital. By the time it was decommissioned in 1946, over 6,500 patients had passed through its doors.

Now we can add six more veterans to that number who hopefully found a different form of healing inside and outside of Hotel Colorado.

📸: .photo

02/25/2026

Sunlight Mountain Resort Sunlight Mountain Resort has hosted all of our Women Veteran Snowboarding Clinics and it has been a gem of a place to start our lady vets on their snowboarding adventures.
They provide the time, space, and instruction to give the one on one experience we are proud to offer every participant.
This year, we had J-Dog as our lead instructor and with his 40 years of snowboarding he brought a lot of tips to help the ladies quickly progress.
Sunlight's new chair lifts made the trip up the mountain smooth and the fresh snow gave the ladies a different experience every day.
Thank you to Lynsey for making sure the ladies had all they needed for a wonderful time at Sunlight.

We love sharing our local mountain with the ladies and we are grateful to for being a sponsor of TKEF's 11th Women Veteran Snowboarding Clinic

📸: .photo

02/23/2026

Alpine Bank Alpine Bank has been a TKEF supporter for many years and for the second year in a row they have provided their private clubhouse for our lady vets.
This space gives the ladies a place to share meals, play games, put together puzzles, and connect once their day on the mountain is done.
It is a beautiful and comfortable spot to start and end our days. We are grateful to Alpine for their continued support and for offering their clubhouse to the lady vets.
It has become a part of the memories made for our 2026 clinic.

02/21/2026

Thank you to for once again honoring our lady vets and supporting TKEF with a beautiful and badass ride.
The 2026 Toyota Sienna kept us safe on the snowy mountain and canyon roads. It sat all six lady vets comfortably and their gear as we drove 4 mile daily.
It handled perfectly and even though all the ladies are moms ( ) , it was a perfect lady vet snowboarding van too.

Thank you Big Horn for always going above to provide safe, reliable vehicles for our Women Veteran Snowboarding Clinics.

02/20/2026

This week we watched six unstoppable lady veterans crush snowboarding!
These women who have already stepped up to serve our country, are hard working, dedicated mothers, took on a brand-new mission: learning to snowboard. And let us tell you — they showed up the same way they always have.
They fell.
They got back up.
They charged the hill again.
No quitting. No complaining. Just grit, determination, and the kind of resilience you can’t teach.
They laughed through the wipeouts.
They encouraged each other through it all.
They stayed flexible, open, and ready to learn.
Tough? Absolutely.
Fun? Without a doubt.
Best attitudes on the mountain? Hands down.
Watching them push past fear, trust the process, and celebrate every small win was a reminder that strength isn’t just physical — it’s mindset.
To these six incredible women: thank you for your service, your spirit, and for proving once again that you can take on anything — even a snowboard.

02/16/2026

As we start welcoming in our lady vets for TKEF's 11th Women Veteran Snowboarding Clinic- we have to give HUGE GRATITUDE to the companies that support us and help bring these clinics together.

for giving us a beautiful Toyota Sienna to get the ladies up and down the mountain in style and safety

for the incredible clubhouse that will be our common room for the week. A place to gather, eat, and hang out off the mountain

for sharing the space, gifting lift tickets, and instructors to make snowboarding a new sport for these ladies

for providing a historic and cozy place to rest and recoup after the ladies give their all on the mountain

We appreciate you seeing our goals and helping us provide an outlet and adventure with your unwavering support!

Address

Glenwood Springs, CO
81601, 81602 (PO BOX)

Website

http://kirstieennisfoundation.com/

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