LAKE OF THE WOODS ADAPTIVE
WATERSPORTS FOUNDATION
OUR STORY
We are a non-profit organization based out of Locust Grove, VA. Currently, our events all take place at Lake of the Woods. We were founded in 2015 and received our 501c3 status in early 2016. We are a non-profit organization that grew out of the Lake of the Woods Ski Club. We realized the impact we could have by sharing their passion for waterskiing with others who might not have the opportunity otherwise.
About Us
All of our board and committee members operate on a volunteer basis and we all have a full-time job outside of the foundation. Our passion and desire to help others drives our organization.
As a volunteer organization, we are always appreciative of donations. Monetary donations help cover our operational costs and equipment costs. We also accept equipment donations and corporate sponsorships.
Meet The Team
Jordy de Boer
President
Born and raised in the Netherlands, I moved to New York after finishing college. I grew up as the son of a small business owner and I have run and managed several various sized businesses through the years. This has made me to be the very hands on person that I am who is always ready to make things happen. I have found that with the help of others around me, anything is possible.
My family relocated to Virginia in 2010 where we discovered the passion for being on the water. Thanks to the LOW Waterski club, it has been a natural evolution to give back to others what we tend to take for granted. I was not one to volunteer much, until I became a part of a community that I watched change the lives of so many, the adaptive outdoor sports community. Through this, I have experienced life changing experiences for adults and children alike.
The first adaptive event I personally volunteered at will be a day that I will never forget. That day changed my life and I made it my mission to create that opportunity for others volunteers and participants alike. Seeing the smiles on others faces, seeing them find the love for the water that my family and I have is a wonderful feeling. The best feeling is knowing that I have given that opportunity to others who might have felt that was never going to be an option in their life. The experience not only changes the lives of the participants, but also of our young volunteers. It truly helps to guide them to become wonderful young adults. Watching friendships develop where they might not otherwise have happened, and witnessing disabled children and adults enjoying a part of life they might not otherwise have been able to do is a feeling like I had never felt before. Knowing my passion positively affects so many lives is a completely humbling experience.
Being in close contact with past participants, seeing them come back to join us at other events, seeing them bring their families, and seeing their worries go to smiles, make all the countless hours that our volunteers put in to this program absolutely worth it!
Thomas Prine
Vice President
As a fellow Veteran, and a guy who was raised on the idea of giving to others, I've been involved with nonprofits since I was only a teenager. I was inspired at a summer camp that catered to adults and children with disabilities led by the Civitan Society of Mississippi, and I quickly developed a deep passion for charitable work. This resolve stuck with me through college, leading me to get a degree in Psychology.
My time in the Army, serving in Germany and Bosnia, gave me a more global outlook on life, and furthered my interest in helping others. Over 20 years later, I still have the desire to help and support others.
I have incorporated my family's love of waterskiing with my desire to support the disabled community, and I'm happy spending my days keeping Lake of the Woods an amazing place to live, with my contributions to the Ski Club and Lake of the Woods Adaptive Watersports.
Treasurer
Lana Marr
I grew up in New York and New Jersey in a large boisterous family where I was taught that volunteering to help others is the best work you can do. Every person in my immediate family volunteered as a youth and continues to do so in various ways. As a mother of 5 children, I was never without opportunities to give my time to schools (25 years), girl scouts (12 years as co-leader), boy scouts (2 years), community organizations (40+ years) and various athletic teams (25 years) my kids were involved in. Thats a lot of years of volunteering and I admit I am the most “experienced” (ahem...oldest) member of our team. Upon moving to Orange County Virginia in 2001 I became involved with our local waterski club that eventually led to my participation in adaptive waterskiing and watersports.
The wonderful thing about our Foundation is that all of my children have also volunteered in this terrific organization and my daughter Corinne achieved her Gold Award in Girl Scouting by creating, financing and running the first ever SmileS Adaptive Watersports Carnival in 2017.
I began my time at the Foundation on the sidelines helping as an event volunteer. This gave me the opportunity to work directly with participants and their families. It was an infectious experience. I could not help but be drawn in (I am a DETAIL-ORIENTED EXTREME ORGANIZER) to work with the group on a more regular basis and was deeply honored when asked to be a part of their Board this year.
My role in the Foundation is to keep track of finances and since we have doubled and tripled our event participation each year since we began in 2016, fundraising is becoming more and more essential. I would like to enlarge our Community Outreach Program that finds watercraft that people are willing to donate and then works with local veterans and youth to bring these boats back to life for purchase. And then every year I get to see the smiling faces of our Adaptive families having the time of their lives at one of our events.
I can’t think of a better way to spend my free time than working with the Foundation. I would also like to recognize the support of the wonderful community where we live and stage our events, Lake of the Woods in Locust Grove VA and the Lake of the Woods Ski Club without whose existence our organization would never have come to be.
Tiffany Prine
Board Member
Hello! I’m a Realtor with the DreamTeam at United Real Estate Premier in the Fredericksburg VA area. I’ve lived, loved, and laughed in the area for over 17 years. I am originally from Southern Mississippi, but I am proud to now call Virginia home. Throughout my 17 years in the area I have volunteered with many organizations from schools to sports. This foundation allows me the ability to work with all ages and skill levels and abilities.
I have loved the water for as long as I can remember. I love being involved with the foundation because it helps me share my love and the experience of being on the water. Working with the
foundation is a family endeavor and we hold it extremely near and dear to our hearts. It is an amazing feeling to positively touch a person’s life. It is all about the smiles that we put on all the faces.
My role in the foundation is helping out wherever I can but I spend most of the time I have helping to fix up donated boats and get them running so that we can sell them and help fund the events.
Carly Levinstein
Board Member
I was lucky enough to grow up around the lake and I have been waterskiing for as long as I can remember. As a child my dad always taught me that it was important to give back to people who might not be as fortunate as you are or those who may not have the opportunities you do. I started working with people with disabilities in high school through a therapeutic horseback riding program and immediately fell in love.
I started working with the foundation as a skier, dockmaster, boat driver, volunteer, etc. After the Veteran's event in 2016 I realized that I wanted to be able to do more for the foundation than just working events a few times a year. Over the course of 2016 I slowly took on more roles, eventually finding myself in charge of event planning, event registration, volunteer organization, and even website design.
Working with the foundation ignited a passion that drives me to want to change the lives of our participants, volunteers, and family members for the better. I am currently living in Denver, Colorado working as an Emergency and Specialty Veterinarian and working with the foundation remotely. I'm so proud of the work that we've done and the amazing work we will continue to do as this foundation grows beyond our greatest ambitions!
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