Do you remember the first time you went skiing? How much fun you had, how you were fearless, invincible, and no matter how many times you fell, you never seemed to get hurt? It was this type of experience, thanks to my active parents, that led me to become a life-long and passionate skier.
I jumped at the opportunity to join the Catamount Trail Association in the fall of 2012 as their Outreach and Youth Program Coordinator/AmeriCorps Member, affording me the opportunity to teach deserving Vermont youth how to Nordic ski through the Catamount Ski Cubs Program and share my passion for winter sports. I am now fortunate to spend Saturday mornings in January and February with 30 Ski Cubs participants at Bolton Valley Nordic Center, playing sharks and minnows and attempting obstacle courses on skis. We have slalom races, nature scavenger hunts, and if mother nature is good to us, we even get to explore in the powder along the Catamount Trail as it wanders up to Bryant Camp. One of the greatest joys about instructing these participants, who join us from community organizations in Northern and Central Vermont, is that they remind me to just go out and play on my skis every once in a while, to forget about technique or the perfect telemark turn, to ditch the fancy gear and the “who has skied more days” talk, and simply enjoy my surroundings and people I am with.
We owe it to these youth to continue to provide Ski Cubs as a community resource in order to help create healthier and happier kids and families in Vermont. Each year we search far and wide for generous foundations and individual donors who will help financially support Ski Cubs. This year, we are competing for one of ten $2,500 grants from MVP Health Care’s Project Go Campaign. The hitch is, the top ten winners are based on community votes, so we need your help! Ski Cubs is provided at absolutely no cost to participants, including equipment, transportation, instruction, and a healthy snack. This grant would completely cover the cost of all trail passes for our entire season, and help pay for our bus which transports participants to Bolton from Burlington and back each week.
Please consider taking 10 seconds to vote. People can vote once a day, every single day, between now and January 27th. Put a sticky note on your computer, set an alarm on your phone, find a way to remember to visit the Ski Cubs MVP Project Go webpage each day and vote to help young Vermonters fall in love with skiing!
If you are interested in learning more about Ski Cubs, how to help a child participate, or how to volunteer, don’t hesitate to contact me, Emily, at outreach@catamounttrail.org. You can also learn more on our Ski Cubs webpage. Thank you for your efforts, and we hope to see you out on the trail soon! Don’t forget to stay tuned to this blog throughout the winter for updates on the 2014 Ski Cubs program season. Think snow!
