A ‘Beautiful Night’: Park City Paralympian Danelle Umstead hosts Sisters in Sports Fundraiser

Sisters In Sports Foundation members including President and Founder Danelle Umstead (center holding White Cane). Photo: courtesy of Sisters In Sports // Danelle Umstead // used in L’Oreal campaign

PARK CITY, Utah — In this Paralympic year, Sisters In Sports Foundations‘ fundraiser evening is as important as ever and its founder, Park City’s four-time Paralympian Danelle Umstead is hosting a community event on Sat., Sept. 6 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley called ‘Bella Note’ which translates to Beautiful Night.

Umstead, a Park City local since 2006, is Mom to Park City High School senior Brocton, and Wife to Rob. She was the first-ever blind contestant on Dancing with the Stars and the three-time Paralympic medalist in alpine skiing is a sought-after public and motivational speaker along with being the president and founder of Sisters in Sports Foundation, a 501(c)(3).

“True Vision isn’t about seeing the light, it’s about leading through the dark,” she says.

After Sisters In Sports was founded in 2020 by Umstead, it was Co-founded in 2023 with Paralympic powerhouses Oksana Masters and Kendall Gretsch with a mission to ensure every woman and girl with a disability belongs, thrives, and rises through sport and community.

To purchase tickets and/or tables to the Bella Note night event click here.

“At SIS, support doesn’t stop with a grant or a workshop. We believe in the pay-it-forward effect—as our athletes grow, they step into mentorship roles themselves, becoming leaders and movement makers. Once a Sister, always a Sister,” Umstead told TownLift. “This is more than a foundation. It’s a sisterhood, a movement, and a place where every woman and girl with a disability not only belongs, but thrives. Together We Rise.”

Interested parties who aren’t able to make it to the fundraiser event and would like to make a general donation to Sisters In Sports should click here.

About the Event

• Evening led by Emcee Shannon Bahrke — three-time Olympian, Olympic silver & bronze medalist, and Park City local
• Guests will enjoy Italian-inspired elegance, a red-carpet welcome, and pin trading, a beloved Olympic/Paralympic tradition
• Each guest will receive five Sisters In Sports collector pins and may also bring a few favorites from home to trade

Featured Olympians and Paralympians

1. Oksana Masters – 17-time Paralympic medalist across summer and winter sports; one of the most decorated U.S. Paralympians in history; a Milan-Cortina 2026 hopeful and SIS Co-Founder
2. Kendall Gretsch – Dual-season Paralympian with gold medals in both Summer (paratriathlon) and Winter (Nordic skiing) Games; a Milan-Cortina 2026 hopeful and SIS Co-Founder
3. Danelle Umstead – Four-time Paralympian, three-time medalist in Para alpine skiing, motivational speaker, and SIS Founder
4. Erin Jackson – Olympic gold medalist and history-maker as the first Black woman to win a speed skating medal at the Winter Games
5. Brittany Bowe – Olympic medalist, world champion speed skater, and Team USA leader
6. Picabo Street – Olympic champion and skiing legend

Plus 10 Sisters in Sports athletes—many of them Milan-Cortina 2026 hopefuls representing the future of winter Paralympic sport.

“When women and girls with disabilities are given access, mentorship, and support, they don’t just succeed in sports—they become leaders in life. And through the SIS pay-it-forward model, they, in turn, lift up others—ensuring that the sisterhood grows stronger with every generation,” Umstead continued. “Sisters in Sports is also about community—growing and thriving together, so this year, we’re proud to celebrate a new philanthropy partnership with the National Charity League, Summit Utah Chapter. The young women of NCL helped create the custom paddles for Bella Notte, will be volunteering throughout the evening, and will continue to be part of our movement beyond the event. This is what true community looks like—lifting one another up and building a stronger future together. Bella Notte is our moment to raise the funds needed to expand this vital work and support these athletes on the road to Milan-Cortina and beyond.”

Sisters In Sports includes:

• 50+ athletes supported through direct grants and programs
• Mental health & wellness: Monthly roundtables plus 1:1 licensed support from sports psychologists and mental health professionals
• Mentorship: Paralympic athletes and strong women leaders guiding the next generation
• Skill-building workshops: Leadership, storytelling, nutrition, and more

Sisters In Sport’ board of directors includes Beth Armstrong who works with Cedars-Simai Hospital, Intermountain Hospital, the new Tiger Woods Golf Club, and People’s Health Clinic in Park City; Steve Scruton, CEO, investor, and advisor with decades of expertise in software, data, and analytics; Susan Cattozzo, a business professional with Deloitte, and Brian Taylor a leading, national, sports non-profit advisor from CFC Collective.

Bella Note is presented by Extell – Mountainside Resort Foundation, and hosted with support from Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.