Bio
Skis4kashmir.org has grown out of a shared love of the mountains and desire to help others. The idea came from a BBC article titled “Ski Respite for war weary Kashmiris”. In this article it is mentioned that with the relative peace in Kashmir many are turning to the mountains that were once too dangerous for travel. It is also mentioned that ski instructors were being overwhelmed with students and that many were turned away because of a lack of equipment. This made me think of my ski quiver and the amazing excesses that exist in the American ski industry and the west that occurs daily. I thought if I could send my unused skis what a difference it could make for someone who has never had the opportunity. Skiing has done so much for me and it was high time I gave back. I began to research the possibility of shipping a 1000 pairs of donated used skis to a Kashmir ski school. Finding the equipment was surprisingly easy because we had broad standards of what we were looking for. As I began to research more I became contacted with Himayun Malik a journalist in Jammu, the second capital of Kashmir. He kept me motivated through the summer and really pushed me when I was about to give up on the project. Thank you Himayun.
I have known Dallas Erwin, the assistant director, for 3 years through mutual friends, mutual love of the mountains, travel, and life. I was at a party in Ft Collins with Dallas and the topic of travel came up. We are both very well traveled and it’s always fun to compare notes. Inevitability future travel came up and he mentioned that he was going to Kashmir in the spring to work with the guru foundation on medical waste cleanup. I was surprised and told him about skis4kashmir and we had a laugh and a few moments of “what if” and we didn’t talk about it again. As the summer progressed and school rolled around I had the opportunity that comes along very rarely. The sociology department at Fort Lewis requires all of its students to complete a block program. It’s a wonderful idea that allows us to practice sociology in the field. Usually it’s an internship within the community working with women’s shelters, the police, abuse hotlines etc. I saw this as an opportunity to try and get skis4kashmir off and running. As I proposed it to the department I was unsure it would lead to or if I would accomplish anything. They supported me from the beginning their direction and ideas have been invaluable. The semester moved on and the project kind of stagnated because I had not found a solid connection in Kashmir to send the skis to. I was writing papers and trying to figure out the next move. At this time I did the 501c3 paperwork, bank accounts and launched the website. All of these were exciting steps and I learned a lot, then the connection that has changed everything.
In spring 2009, Dallas was searching for an internship to finish his degree in Environmental Communication. Dallas’s mother mentioned to him that someone she knows through work is the founder of a non-profit in Kashmir. She is a medical anthropologist at Roswell Park in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Khurshid Guru works there as well and his non-profit organization, the Charitable Guru Foundation is well known amongst his colleagues. The Guru Foundation is a registered 501 C3 that helps with healthcare and education in Kashmir. As Dallas describes his first phone call is; the day of the phone interview with Dr. Guru he was climbing in Clear Creek Canyon and had to search the canyon for cell phone reception. After their first conversation it was obvious that Dr. Guru was a special person that was going to be fun to work with. In that conversation it was agreed that Dallas would work on a waste management plan for the hospitals in the Kashmir Valley. Bio-medical waste is dumped in the River Jhelum which is drinking water for millions of people. Dallas’ project objective is to create a waste management plan for Kashmir’s hospitals that doesn’t create environmental or health hazards.
Dallas and I hadn’t talked in about a month; Dallas knew that I had started my own non-profit (skis4kashmir) in Kashmir but what amazed him was that Skis4kashmir already had skis for the project. Initially, Dallas just wanted me to call Dr. Guru for advice. I was still struggling to find a reliable contact in Kashmir that was specifically interested in creating a ski school. At this point Dallas already had a plane ticket to Kashmir for the week before Thanksgiving. Dr. Guru wanted to give Dallas a brief introduction to Kashmir before he went there for the waste management project. When Dallas first told me about Dr. Guru and his interest in the program, I blown away, as well as little sceptical of the whole situation. I mean what does a doctor want with ski donation? I at first avoided his calls because I didn’t know what I would say. Then I finally got the courage to, as it turned out Dr. Guru is the nicest man you will ever meet. I explained my ideas and goals for my project also about me. During that conversation and the many that followed it became clear that Dr. Guru is very passionate when it comes to any positive change in Kashmir. It only took a few phone conversations to get me to join Dr. Guru and Dallas. Neither of us knew what to expect from the trip. We thought it might be a simple introduction to Kashmir. The trip became much more than that.
The guru trust foundation is very young, it’s only been around for 3 years, but it has done a lot. The foundation has invested heavily in 7 schools in Sopore and gives scholarships to 500 students to pursue their education. They also work in hospitals and care facilities throughout the region. Dr Guru sees skis4kashmir as an opportunity to bring sport to poor children that would never be able to afford it. This is where everything really changed. He invited me to go with him and Dallas to research how difficult it is for children in the area to go skiing. This was an offer I couldn’t refuse and that trip has changed the dimension of Skis4kashmir… For more information on our trip please visit our blog section.
Upon our return the real work began. Dallas and I are both very dedicated to making this a reality. With everything in India ready to go it wasn’t hard to put a team together. To find out about the team please visit our “Instructors” page.
Thank You
Charlie Noone
