It is important for the USSA and the elite athletes who represent the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding to take an active role in the community and be socially responsible for creating opportunities to interact with people who inspire to be world-changers. By giving back, we can improve our world through service learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community. Together, we can make a difference. Remember, athletes are highly visible and can have a major influence on the general public. Choose wisely and make your time count.

Before you begin to look for a place to volunteer consider the following questions so that you can have a better idea of what you are looking for.

• Do you want to volunteer as a one-time event, or find something you can do regularly?
• How much time do you want to invest?
• When are you available to volunteer?
• Are you interested in a specific issue or cause?
• Is there a friend you can ask to join you?
• What specific issue or cause may your sponsors be affiliated with?
• Is there an opportunity for you to create your own project?

Each year the USSA is contacted by outside organizations who wish to gauge the interest of our athletes hoping to connect them with others who share a common desire to help make our world a better place. In this section, each organization will be listed below with a brief description and their contact information.

                             "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."  Mahatma Gandhi

Athletes for Hope is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization created by a few very successful athletes of exemplary character who have a deep commitment to charitable and community causes. Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded Athletes for Hope to Pass their Passion for philanthropy to others.  To learn more about Athletes for Hope, please click here.

MISSION

To educate, encourage and assist athletes in their efforts to contribute to community and charitable causes, to increase public awareness of those efforts, and to inspire others to do the same.

Right To Play uses specially-designed sport and play programmes to improve health, build life skills, and foster peace for children and communities affected by war, poverty, disease. Working in both the humanitarian and development contexts, Right To Play has projects in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Right To Play is a global-scale implementer of Sport for Development and Peace programmes and takes an active role in driving research and policy development in this area and in supporting children’s rights. To learn more about Right to Play, please click here.

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Special Olympics currently serves 2.5 million people with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 Programs in over 180 countries. To learn more about Special Olympics, please click here.