10/01/2026
As y'all know, we have, over the last two years or so, been highlighting our volunteers. Well this one is gonna be a LONG one and a tearjerker, so have your tissue ready!
Julie and Landis Manchester Ainsley's Angels Ambassadors are parents to five and grandparents of four. Here is Landis' story! We here at Ski-dawgs are proud to have all of your family showing up and showing out for us!
Ski Dawgs & Ainsley's Angels in Baton Rouge: A Story of Inclusion, Friendship, and Family
In December 2016, Julie and I were attending a 5k event in Biloxi, Mississippi, with our son Daniel and Mathew. I was sitting on the sidelines when Beth and Jenn from Ainsley's Angels walked up and asked why we weren't participating.
I remember looking at them like they were absolutely crazy.
I told them, "I don't run, and Matthew is in a wheelchair."
They smiled and began telling us about Ainsley's Angels and what inclusion looked like through their eyes. Before they walked away, they told us that in just five weeks both boys would we would be participating in the Louisiana 5K and Half Marathon.
I politely smiled, thought to myself, "Yeah, okay," and went on about my day.
What I didn't know then was that those two minutes would completely change the course of our lives.
Five weeks later, Julie pushed Matthew in their very first 5K together. I'll never forget standing there at the finish line and seeing the joy on both of their faces. Matthew was smiling from ear to ear. Julie was smiling just as big. In that moment, something clicked inside me.
This wasn't just a race.
This wasn't just a hobby.
This was belonging.
For the first time, we experienced what true inclusion felt like. Matthew wasn't watching from the sidelines anymore. He was part of the event. He was part of the team. He belonged.
From that day forward, our family was all in.
I started helping with equipment and assisting at events for the Baton Rouge chapter. In January 2018, I became the Lead Guardian Angel, and in January 2020, I was honored to become the Ambassador for Baton Rouge.
Everything I have done since then has been driven by one simple goal: creating opportunities for families like mine.
Opportunities where a child isn't defined by a disability.
Opportunities where a family doesn't feel left out.
Opportunities where everyone gets a chance to participate.
Along the way, our chapter has grown beyond anything I could have imagined. We have welcomed countless Angel Riders and families, built lifelong friendships, and created memories that will last forever. I have been humbled to receive three awards presented by State of Louisiana, and including the Joe Orth Award, but the real reward has never been the recognition.
The real reward has always been the smiles.
The smiles on riders crossing finish lines.
The smiles on parents watching their children included.
The smiles on families who finally realize they are not alone.
As a lifelong LSU fan, I wanted our Angel Riders to experience opportunities many people never thought possible. One of those opportunities was participating in the LSU Tiger 10K.
I still laugh thinking about the day LSU wanted proof that our chariots wouldn't damage the field. I took a day off work, hauled all of our equipment to campus, brought Matthew with me, and literally ran from end zone to end zone demonstrating everything for the field crew and athletics staff.
Looking back, it seems like a small thing.
But because of that day, hundreds of Angel Riders and runners have been able to participate in the Tiger 10K over the last five years.
One simple "yes" created opportunities for so many people.
Then came LSU Baseball.
One evening at TJ Ribs during Coach Jay Johnson's radio show, I introduced myself during a brief commercial break and asked if he would take a moment to meet my sons with disabilities after the show was over.
Without hesitation, he said, "Absolutely."
I was prepared if the opportunity arose, and thankfully it did. I handed Coach Johnson a letter explaining our mission and introducing him to Ainsley's Angels. He told me that someone from LSU Athletics or his wife would likely be in touch.
What happened next surprised me.
Instead, later that night at 11:17 PM, I received a personal email from Coach Johnson himself.
That email opened doors I never could have imagined.
Since then, LSU Baseball has embraced our families in ways that continue to amaze me. We have thrown out first pitches, toured facilities, visited locker rooms, met players, taken photos, collected autographs, and most importantly, made memories together. LSU even had coaches shoes made with our Ainsley’s Angels logo in which they will wear for all future Ainsley’s Angels family days. I was even blessed with my own pair from LSU.
Each family day has brought more than 80 Ainsley's Angels family members together.
For many of our families, those weren't just baseball experiences.
They were moments of inclusion.
Moments where our children felt seen.
Moments where they felt celebrated.
Moments where they were simply kids enjoying something special.
And it was during one of those unforgettable LSU Baseball experiences that another incredible chapter of this story began.
As I was preparing to walk onto the field and throw out a first pitch representing Ainsley's Angels, Tim Ripp from Ski Dawgs introduced himself.
What started as a conversation quickly became a friendship.
Tim shared stories and videos about Ski Dawgs and the impact they were making. As he talked, I saw the same thing I had experienced through Ainsley's Angels.
A mission built on inclusion.
A mission built on possibility.
A mission built on saying "yes" when others say "no."
Since then, Ski Dawgs has welcomed our families with open arms. They have invited us to clinics, attended our events, partnered with Baton Rouge and South Mississippi, and become an extension of our family.
Then came Jamie.
From the very first phone call, I knew Jamie was someone special. I shared our story and our mission, and we connected immediately. I asked if I could help introduce Ski Dawgs to our Ainsley's Angels families.
What Jamie didn't know was that I had big plans.
Really big plans.
Together, we created what became the largest Ski Dawgs clinic they had ever hosted.
44 Riders!!!
But what makes me smile isn't the size of the clinic.
It's the lives that were touched because of it.
It's watching a child do something their family never thought possible.
It's watching parents wipe tears from their eyes as they see their child experience joy, freedom, and success.
It's seeing barriers disappear.
It's seeing possibility replace limitations.
Since the summer of 2025, David, Robin, Jamie, Dawn, and their families have become much more than partners in our mission. They have become friends. They have become advocates. They have become family. David has become an Angel rider and has participated in 5k’s, Trail runs, and even a half marathon. Jamie’s family has participated in their first 5k pushing Matthew from which is where this chapter begun in 2016.
Today, they don't just support Ainsley's Angels.
They are part of Ainsley's Angels and participate in our events.
And that means everything.
When I look back on this journey, I'm reminded how incredible life can be when people are willing to step outside of their comfort zones and simply say hello.
A conversation in Biloxi changed our lives.
A conversation with Coach Johnson created opportunities for hundreds of families.
A conversation with Tim sparked a partnership.
A phone call with Jamie sparked a new friendship that is now family.
Lives change.
Communities grow.
Strangers become friends.
Friends become family.
And together, we create opportunities that once seemed impossible.
"Together, We Shall."
"Strangers in the morning, friends by lunch, and family by the end of the day."
