Greenfield, NH – In front of a crowd of over 1,000 people on Sunday afternoon, the Crotched Mountain Wild took to the ice against the Boston Bruins Alumni in the second annual Bruins Alumni Classic. The game, to benefit Crotched Mountain Foundation's Accessible Recreation and Sports program (CMARS), was held at the Sullivan Arena at St. Anselm College in Manchester.

This year's event raised $15,000 to support the CMARS program, which brings people with disabilities together with family and friends in a range of accessible recreational and sport activities including skiing, snow­boarding, snowshoeing, paddling, hiking and yoga. The Bruins Alumni Foundation also awarded CMARS an additional $5,000 grant earlier this year. "We are happy to support a program that helps people with disabilities to enjoy sports," said Rick Middleton, Bruins Alumni Captain. "This is our second year playing the Crotched Mountain Wild and we are looking forward to a rematch in 2013."

"We are grateful to the Boston Bruins Foundation for their continued support of our CMARS program," stated Donald L. Shumway, president and CEO of Crotched Mountain Foundation. "Their generosity ensures that more people with disabilities can experience the thrill of racing down a ski slope for the first time or paddling across a beautiful lake on a hot summer day."

Following the singing of the national anthem by Crotched Mountain School's para-educator Stephen Smillie, nine-year old Isabelle Tenters of Jaffrey dropped the ceremonial first puck. Isabelle, who has spina bifida, has been taking skiing lessons with CMARS for the past three years and paddled for the first time with CMARS this summer. Her parents joke that she has a "need for speed," which becomes apparent during her skiing lessons. Always one to take on a challenge, Isabelle is most often seen in the terrain park and is known to take the occasional jump or two.

During the hockey game's two 30-minute periods, The Crotched Mountain Wild's hometown team, including co-captains Philip Grisafi and Geoff Garfinkle of Peterborough as well as ConVal High School goalie Parker Wheeler of Francestown, played against Bruins legends Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly and Bob Beers, to name a few. The Wild's roster also included players Kit Rautio, Reuben Lyons, Joshua Sipe, Peter McLaughlin and Mark Leger of Peterborough; Tony Parisi of Bennington; Harry Payne of Antrim; Scott Tucker of Hancock; Adam Aho of Rindge; Tim Hogue of Warner; Brent Patterson of Nashua and Bill Sweeney of Somersworth.

"This is a nice way to help raise money for a good cause and for everybody to have fun at the same time," said Bruins Alumni Terry O'Reilly. Between periods, team members signed autographs and posed for pictures with attendees. The Bruins Alumni play about 30 charitable games per year. They have helped to raise over 6 million dollars for local charities and youth hockey programs throughout New England and elsewhere.

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About CMARS

The CMARS program brings people with disabilities together with family and friends in a range of accessible recreational and sport activities including skiing, snow­boarding, snowshoeing, paddling, hiking and yoga. Crotched Mountain's Nationally-Certified Recreational Therapists and over 60 trained volunteers provide over 1,200 hours annually of accessible recreation experiences for people of all abilities. All CMARS activities are open to the public. www.crotchedmountain.org/cmars

About Crotched Mountain

Crotched Mountain Foundation is a charitable organization founded in 1953 with a mission to serve individuals with disabilities and their families, embracing personal choice and development, and building communities of mutual support. Crotched Mountain provides specialized education, rehabilitation, community and residential support services for more than 3,000 people throughout New England and New York. For more information about Crotched Mountain, please visit www.crotchedmountain.org