The Mālama Ski Club is a partnership with Park City’s National Ability Center that will launch when the snow flies later this year. Its founder is Chuck Steele, one of the NAC’s Spanish-speaking instructors who saw a need to teach more Latino kids the sport after working with one last year.
Aaron Ruiz, a 9-year-old with autism, was Steele’s student last winter and his inspiration for the club.
“My favorite one is the turtle trail or the mountain one," said Ruiz, talking about his favorite ski runs.
His mother, Laura Ruiz, was born in Mexico. She said she registered him in the NAC’s adaptive sports programs after his special education teacher told her about the opportunity.
Now, she said skiing has helped him believe in himself.
“He’s so into it, so it gives him a lot of confidence,” she said. “And I think that kind of translates in his life as well, personally, because I think he’s just more open to do a lot more things, and that’s why I think this is so important.”
Before working for the NAC, Steele started the Mālama Football Club in Hawaii, an organization to help kids get the resources to play soccer.
He said Mālama means “to care for” in Hawaiian.
Now, he is creating the Mālama Ski Club to care for Spanish-speaking kids with disabilities here in the Wasatch Back.
Ten spots are open for Spanish-speaking youth to register for skiing classes with the Mālama Ski Club’s inaugural season.
The free club will provide skis, coats, gloves, helmets and instructors to teach four ski classes at Park City Mountain this winter.
He said at the end of the season, a Latino celebrity will be at their final Trophy Ceremony and Family Fiesta.
Steele said the program works with kids who have cognitive, physical or special learning abilities. He said they may include visual impairment, autism, dyslexia and more.
He said his goal is to help Latino feel comfortable being themselves and have fun.
“When I started cruising and playing soccer with the adaptive youth, I could be myself completely,” he said. “And I’ve never met a group where I’ve felt I can just be who I am, because they are being exactly who they are.”
For more information or to register for the program, contact Steele at malamasnowclub@gmail.com.
