Manchester, NH (October 3, 2012) – The Upper Valley Stewardship Center (UVSC) has a new state-of-the-art Therapeutic Ropes Course, thanks in large part to FairPoint Communications.
FairPoint drilled and set 17 telephone poles and anchors over a two-week span – a critical component of rebuilding the ropes course, which was irreparably damaged in 2006. The course had been a key component of the experiential education provided to students from the surrounding area including those who struggle with issues such as autism, anxiety, depression, mood disorders and substance abuse. FairPoint’s work saved the UVSC $10,000.
The UVSC is an alliance of educators, natural resource professionals and landowners dedicated to advancing stewardship, outdoor recreation and experiential education in the Upper Valley Region of New Hampshire and Vermont. The 2,000-acre campus located in the Haverhill village of Pike, includes a farm, wetlands preservation, mountain biking, a horse trail riding program and numerous experiential learning opportunities, and until 2006, a ropes course.
The historic 2006 New England storm caused severe damage and flooding throughout the region and decimated the UVSC’s ropes course.
“We had wanted to rebuild the course, but knew the costs would be prohibitive, unless we could find a partner,” said Mike Adamkowski, director of wilderness operations for Mount Prospect Academy – one of UVSC’s managing partners. “If we had to hire an outside contractor to complete this work, it would have cost at least $10,000. Fortunately, one of our board members reached out to FairPoint for help and we had a commitment within days. We cannot thank FairPoint enough for agreeing to partner with us, and contributing their employees and equipment for this important project.”
The ropes course, which spans 300,000 square feet, is a challenging outdoor personal development and team-building activity consisting of high and low elements.� The high elements are made of telephone poles and require a belay for safety.
FairPoint linesmen drilled and set 17 poles and 25 anchors contributing to the completion of the first phase of the project. Phase two involves the addition of more high and low elements and is expected to be completed in 2013.
Jesse Mohr, executive director of UVSC, said, “It is so gratifying to see how many of these students benefit from the programs offered here.� Sometimes they’ll come into the program very shy and reserved; but when we get them up on a high ropes course, we see their confidence and communication skills grow right before our eyes.”
The course will be used primarily for students at UVSC affiliates – The Mount Prospect Academy in Plymouth; Oliverian School in Pike; East Haverhill Academy, Haverhill;� Connecticut River Academy in Bradford, Vt.; and Mountain Valley Treatment Center in Haverhill. It will also be available for many other organizations throughout New Hampshire and Vermont.
One group that recently visited the UVSC was the Clara Martin Center in Bradford, Vt., which serves children, adults and families dealing with a range of mental health and substance abuse issues.
Transition Age Youth Coordinator, Cate Beaton, said, “It was amazing as a facilitator to see how a few activities can affect a young adult’s relationship to him or herself and to others. Through the generous donation made by FairPoint Communications, we received just a small glimpse of how this course will impact the many groups that have the opportunity to use it.”
“Supporting organizations like the Upper Valley Stewardship Center is a core piece of our mission of giving back to the community,” said Patrick McHugh, FairPoint’s New Hampshire state president. “Thanks to our dedicated employees, this ropes course will help so many young people grow, gain confidence and develop leadership qualities.”
Click here to view a video of the work that was done at the Upper Valley Stewardship Center.
“This project will bring a resource to the Upper Valley that has not existed before,” said Mike Adamkowski.� “Thanks to FairPoint the needs of local schools, civic and nonprofit groups can be filled right in their back yard as opposed to traveling for miles.”
About FairPoint Communications, Inc. FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NasdaqCM: FRP) is a leading communications provider of broadband Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other high-capacity data services to customers in communities across 18 states. Through its fast, reliable fiber network, FairPoint delivers high-quality data and voice networking communications solutions to residential, business and wholesale customers. FairPoint delivers VantagePointSM services through its resilient IP-based network in northern New England. This state-of-the-art fiber network provides carrier Ethernet connections to support the surging bandwidth and performance requirements for cloud-based applications like network storage, disaster recovery, distance learning, medical imaging, video conferencing and CAD/CAM along with traditional voice, VoIP, video and Internet access solutions. Additional information about FairPoint products and services is available at www.FairPoint.com. You can also connect with FairPoint on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/myfairpoint) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/myfairpoint).
Upper Valley Stewardship Center The Upper Valley Stewardship Center is an alliance of educators, natural resource professionals, and landowners dedicated to collaborative management of a 2000 acre campus and advancing stewardship, outdoor recreation, and experiential education in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont.� Through their activities, they hope to nurture a culture of environmental awareness, physical and mental fitness, healthy communities, and long-term sustainability of the Upper Valley’s natural and cultural resources. (http://hstrial-uppervalleyst.intuitwebsites.com/index.html)
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