The inaugural Friday Night Lights Ski-A-Thon at National Ability Center will bring the community together for three hours of night skiing, music, food trucks and fundraising. This Friday, registered skiers and riders can access Park City Mountain terrain off of the Payday and First Time lifts in support of the center’s military programs from 5 to 8 p.m., with festivities at the McGrath Mountain Center until 9 p.m. “It is just such a fun, unique thing these days, to be able to night ski,” said Caitlin Bognaski, vice president of development at the National Ability Center. “We’re super excited. I think it’ll be a really fun way to get community, from elementary kids all the way up to older folks, out on the mountain together skiing at night for a great cause.” The National Ability Center’s mission is about making outdoor recreation accessible and creating space for people with disabilities to get outside, build confidence and be part of a community through sport and adventure.  Amid broader federal funding cuts affecting programs nationwide, the National Ability Center did not receive a Veterans Affairs grant that had historically supported its military programming.  The National Ability Center’s military program serves active-duty service members and veterans and individuals with service-related injuries, getting them back out on the mountain through adaptive skiing, snowboarding and other outdoor experiences to build confidence and connection through sport. Participants in the Ski-A-Thon will receive light-up medallions to wear on the mountain and take part in Friday Night Lights. Credit: Photo courtesy of the National Ability Center “After we found out about the federal funding, it obviously took the wind out of our sails a little bit initially, but I think we all have seen historically, how this local community and even our supporters across the country have always stepped up in our times of need,” said Bognaski.  And through connections to donors and community members, within two months, the gap left by the grant had been filled by the Jaket Foundation. The Ski-A-Thon’s proceeds this year will specifically support the center’s military programs to include family participation so that vets can get outside with their loved ones as a way to continue to bolster their support system, said Bognaski. “It was just incredible to see how much people care, and know that the impact of the military programs is so immense that they wanted to step up and help support us,” said Bognaski.   Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise partnered with the National Ability Center to host the Friday Night Lights Ski-A-Thon, providing lifts, terrain and staffing so that all funds raised go directly to adaptive recreation programming. Credit: Photo courtesy of the National Ability Center The adaptive sports center aimed to keep registration costs as low as possible, with event tickets at $50 for adults and $15 for kids under 12, and lift tickets at $10. More than 525 people had registered by Wednesday afternoon, with organizers expecting to cap participation at 600. The event is hosted in partnership with Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise, which provide the terrain, lifts, ski patrol and staffing at no cost to the center, which means that every dollar raised goes directly into their programming, said Bognaski. “Events like the Ski‑a‑Thon reinforce Park City Mountain’s belief that the mountain belongs to everyone,” said Bailey Quinn, communications manager at Park City Mountain. “By supporting the National Ability Center, we’re helping ensure that people of all abilities can experience the joy of skiing and riding.” While a handful of National Ability Center athletes will be on the mountain Friday night, 12 of the center’s competitive team members will be preparing to head to Italy for the Paralympic Winter Games.  “We just wanted this to also be a time where people from the community can come out and get to see the McGrath Mountain Center. If they’ve never been inside, they’ll see some of our athletes out skiing as well, and it’ll just be a really fun community evening,” said Bognaski.  Guests milling through the McGrath Mountain Center will have the opportunity to tour the facility and ask questions about adaptive equipment and their recreation programs. And for locals who have skied past the building, Bognaski said, this offers them a chance to step inside and understand what they accomplish on the mountain and for their athletes.  “These night skiing events we are hosting this season take that a step further to bring our community together around something meaningful,” Quinn said. “By pairing night skiing with a fundraising effort, we’re creating space for local connection while supporting an organization that positively impacts the lives of so many local families and neighbors as well as out of town guests and groups.” Registration is open at tinyurl.com/84prv3mt. 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