ABOUT US
Nick's Story
The Reeno Foundation was created to honor the
memory of Nicholas Ruschmeyer.
Nick was a warrior who always put others first.
His wishes were for a foundation to be started to offer opportunities for young
people to experience hiking, climbing, backcountry skiing, paddling, and all
the outdoors has to offer.
His extraordinary courage, perseverance, and
strength while battling cancer is a testament to his approach to life. Nick
shared his passion for the outdoors with all he knew. He was a certified rock
climbing instructor, backcountry guide, skier and snowboarder. As an
accomplished mountaineer, Nick dedicated his life to leading people on
experiences that allowed them to push themselves to grow and learn. Whether
beginner or expert, Nick’s patience, kindness, knowledge, and love for what he
did made everyone want to follow him.
Nick took his love for the outdoors and earned his
bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Education & Adventure Leadership at Johnson
State College, VT. He worked as the Manager of Terrain Parks at Jay Peak Resort
in VT designing and building the snowboard park features for the mountain and
learning terrain. Nick was also the co-owner of Lynx Mountain Guides of VT and
made his home in the northeast kingdom of Vermont.
Mission
The Reeno Foundation increases access to powerful transformative outdoor experiences for children and young adults.
Focused in the northeastern US, Reeno enables young people to participate in experiential education or professional outdoor opportunities, and encourages a life-long connection to the natural world.
Vision
Guided by the values and practices that Nick lived by, Reeno strives to expose, and therefore connect, people to the natural world through new and often challenging outdoor activities.
Through these experiences, Reeno recipients will expand their understanding and connection to, not only nature, but to themselves and the people around them.
Reeno understands that being outdoors and pushing oneself to try new things can be truly transformative, and can set one on a previously unseen path; by providing scholarship funds, we strive to remove barriers for this transformation.
Elected Board Members
President: Sherrie Ruschmeyer
Sherrie Ruschmeyer, President. Sherrie is Nick’s Mom and mother to his sister Nicole and brother Cody. The Reeno Foundation is her way of following Nick’s wishes to help others experience the outdoor adventures that fueled Nick’s life. Sherrie is an avid skier and started all her children skiing at a very young age where the family spent most of their weekends in VT. Their family spent many years camping (in tents, no running water, outhouses, kind of camping!) She believes that Nick’s childhood adventures and upbringing sparked his passion for the outdoors. She also strongly believes in Nick’s philosophy that being outdoors in nature can change your perspective and your outlook on life. Sherrie has been helping run her husband Larry’s landscape construction business in CT for 40 years as well as being a birth doula for 22 years helping hundreds of women give birth.
Vice President: Larry Ruschmeyer
Larry Ruschmeyer, Vice President. Larry is Nick’s Dad and father to his two siblings, Nicole and Cody. Larry started his children’s lives with a sense of adventure exposing them to camping, skiing, boating and waterskiing, ATVs, and dirtbikes. He taught them to navigate using charts and compass (no cell phones!). Larry was also exposed to rock climbing and camping at an early age and passed his enthusiasm for these activities on to Nick. Larry is the owner of a landscaping company in CT and has been in business for himself for 40 years. He is also involved in his community as a commissioner on the Zoning Board of Appeals for his town and sits on various church committees.
Treasurer: Renee Duffield
Secretary: Lindsey Wight
Lindsey Wight, Secretary - Lindsey loves connecting people to the world around them, either through her job as a river-advocate for nonprofit organizations that protect water resources in northern Vermont, or through adventures large and small in all sorts of settings. Privileged to grow up with ready access to woods, ponds, mountains, and rivers, Lindsey understands that getting people outside and interacting with the natural world is as good for them as it is for our environment. Lindsey currently lives in Jay, VT, where she became friends with Nick through their relationships with Jay Peak Resort; Nick's desire to make everyone comfortable, confident, and enjoying outdoor adventures continues to inspire her volunteerism with Reeno.
Other Members
Craig Cimmons
Max Post
Emma Schaffrick
William Jones
Advisor's to the Board:
Michael Matson
Max Post – Max went to college with Nick where they adventured with an amazing group of friends. Max and Nick shared many days kayaking, canoeing, stand up
paddleboarding, water skiing, wakeboarding, skiing, snowboarding splitboarding, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, ski mountaineering, rock and ice climbing. They shared a love for the outdoors, working together on several occasions including river guiding, team building, and building terrain parks. Max has a passion for outdoor and experiential education. Max volunteers his time on the board for the Reeno Foundation along with the other board members and amazing group of volunteers carrying out Nick’s legacy, the Reeno Foundation.
Emma Schaffrick – Emma and Nick shared a passion for climbing, boating, and sliding on snow. They met in college and, with a handful of others, became adventure buddies. Emma now lives in Colorado where she is able to enjoy all these activities in the Rocky Mountains. Emma was able to combine her passion for the outdoors and love of helping people by becoming an EMT and an active member on her local search and rescue team. She is able to utilize her technical rope rescue, whitewater rescue and avalanche rescue skills to not only help on calls, but also teach other members. Emma believes that it is important for people to be outside. Learning how to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation helps build confidence for daily life.
William Jones - Will is the owner of Chameleon Communications / Media. Providing corporate clients with a wide variety of marketing solutions for over 30 years. Working in print, mail, web, social media, photography, video and trade shows. His skill sets this area are wide and still growing at pace with today's rapidly changing environment. He has a B.S. B.A. in Economics from Nichols College. A lifelong lover of the outdoors. Hiker and reluctant climber. Skier, both snow and water. Weightlifter. Traveler. Photographer. And the man Nick called "Uncle Moose"
Community Partners
madathlete: GEAR UP. GET OUT THERE.
Silverton Mountain
Miso Hungry Authentic Japanese Ramen
AXIOM ADVENTURES
JAY PEAK
The Woodshed Lodge
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Umiak Outdoor Outfitters
Sincerest Thank You
Thank you so much for your donation to the Reeno Foundation. Please check out the website to see how your donation will benefit a a scholarship recipient. Join us for future fundraisers, learn about the Reeno Foundation and Nick's Legacy.