by Judge John Kennedy
In 2019, local Ski Roundtop was acquired by Vail Resorts. The Countess, Gilbert and Andrews families were always winter and skiing enthusiasts. Currently, Larry Young, Judge John Kennedy and other CGA members regularly ski.
This year Vail began a program, Epic for Everyone. They partnered with the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) to introduce youth of color to winter sports. The local NBS affiliate, Black Ski of Washington, D.C. was selected as one of nine clubs across the nation to participate in this program.
Vail awarded all 9 affiliates a $37,000 grant to help introduce 40 youth from each club to the sport. They provided, transportation, clothing, instruction and equipment to youth. Each affiliate provided volunteers to assist the resort personnel with the youth.
Judge Kennedy and his wife are the proud parents of Christian Kennedy, who had a history making ski racing career with Black Ski. CGA Attorney Pete Andrews facilitated Christian’s adoption in 1996. The Kennedys introduced Christian to skiing at the age of two and he began to ski race at 6. In 2012, Christian was the first African American to win a Pennsylvania Ski Racing championship. NBS its affiliates, including Black Ski sponsored Christian to pursue his racing and helped scholarship him to Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire. He finished his high school there and went on to race NCAA Division 1 at Plymouth State University. He graduated Cum Laude from Plymouth in 2019 and is now an equity owner in the startup Goodfynd in Boston.
Judge Kennedy became a life member of Black Ski and has volunteered with Black Ski to assist in the Epic for Everyone program. He has spent four Sundays this year skiing with the youth at local Ski Roundtop.
Attorneys Larry Young, Rebecca Shanaman, Judge John Uhler, and Judge John Kennedy currently sit on the York County Bar Association’s Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. CGA Law Firm is committed to helping York and Central Pennsylvania to becoming a place that is welcoming to all.
