Harwood names 2026 Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship recipient
May 18, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Harwood sophomore William Clark is the 2026 recipient of the Liam Hale Adventure Scholarship. Courtesy photo
Harwood Union High School sophomore William Clark has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship.
The award is announced annually around May 9, Liam’s birthday, to a student who is completing their 10th-grade year.
The scholarship was established by the Hale family in memory of Liam Hale, a Harwood High School student who was a passionate skier, mountain biker, and golfer. Liam was one of five local teens who lost their lives in October 2016 in a tragic wrong-way crash on Interstate 89.
From the ski school’s Micro Bears at age 4 through working at the mountain’s bike shop in high school, Liam’s years spent at Sugarbush made him a confident, adventurous and outgoing young man.
In that spirit, the scholarship provides a Harwood student the opportunity to discover the same skills, virtues and passion Liam found through outdoor adventures.
This year’s recipient, William, an avid skier who first learned on the slopes through his elementary school ski program, said the scholarship would offer a chance to return to a favorite activity. “All of my stress vanishes, and I’m left with just myself and the mountain. It’s a feeling of freedom and exuberance,” William wrote about skiing in his application.
Not having skied since leaving middle school though, the Moretown sophomore said he looks forward to rejoining friends on the slopes and exploring new outdoor pursuits, including golf and mountain biking, through the scholarship.
The award includes a Sugarbush Four Season Premium Pass, valued at more than $3,000, providing unlimited skiing and riding, golf, mountain biking, scenic lift rides, and year-round access to the Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center, along with additional resort benefits.
Those wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund in memory of Liam Hale can send donations to: The Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship at Harwood Unified Union School District, 340 Mad River Park, Waitsfield, VT 05672.