Helping Inner City Kids
No corporate event goes on in Winnipeg without being in support of a worthy cause. Ours is the development and support of a ski program for Inner City children and Youth. Introducing young people from the heart of our city to healthy outdoor sports and activities helps pave a way to more positive lifestyle choices and appreciation for the great outdoors.

Even if you can't participate in the event, you can still assist the Great Get Off Your Butt and Ski program for inner city kids. We are very appreciative of any financial or equipment donation. Please make cheques payable to Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba and send to:

GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND SKI EVENT,
c/o CCSAM,
145 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 2Z6.

We can issue you a tax receipt, if you choose to submit your donation through the Sport Manitoba National Sport Trust Fund.

On February 15, 2003, 12 teams of five courageous souls each, braved cold temperatures to battle for the honour of winning the first annual Great Get Off Your Butt and Ski Corporate Challenge. But the real winner is a group of students from four elementary schools in the inner city of Winnipeg. Nearly $7,000 was raised that first year from the generous corporate support are being used to provide access to outdoor activity and experiences that these children would likely never be able to benefit from.

This event has continued as the main source of support for the ski program for these children. Your participation in this one-day event pays off all season long for these kids, and they love it.

The Get Off Your Butt and Ski Kids program is managed by the Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba. Ski equipment purchased and donated specifically for this program is used at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre. The children receive weekly lessons from qualified CANSI nordic ski instructors over a six week period beginning in mid-January.

Students are drawn from the following Winnipeg schools:

• David Livingstone
• Sister McNamara
• Wellington
• Fort Rouge
• Norquay
• John M. King

During the program, the Kids will be introduced to the basics of cross-country skiing, classic technique. A variety of games and activities will be used to help the students feel at ease on skis and to develop their ski skills. The students will also learn to wax and care for ski equipment.

In addition to the purchase of skis, boots and poles, the money raised from the Great Get Off Your Butt and Ski Event will pay for trail fees at Windsor Park Nordic Centre and for a certified instructor. Each student will also receive a program toque. The schools have made the commitment to provide transportation for the students and accompanying staff on a rotating basis. The skills that these staff members learn as they assist the instructors will be a further benefit to the schools.

From just an idea, the Great Get Off Your Butt and Ski event grew into a successful day of fun and friendly competition, and now further benefits are unfolding with the Get Off Your Butt and Ski Kids.

The Corporate Challenge teams make generous donations to this objective and we thank them heartily for their efforts. If you would like to make a contribution beyond your participation in the event, you can also contact us to make a donation.

We are also looking for good, used equipment suitable for the program. We need boots, skis and poles. Bindings and boots should be SNS-era or newer, sorry we're not including 3-pin boots in our fleet.

We've already been able to extend our invitation and support to get several inner city schools on the snow for the upcoming season, and we look forward to developing this into something more young Winnipeg citizens will look forward to every year.

This program has seen great success. We have more than tripled the number of kids who we're exposing to this outdoor activity each winter. And the kids love it. The sense of accomplishment these kids feel after their initial hesitations are overcome make it all worthwhile. They're out there in the fresh air and feeling good about themselves.

A real sign of commitment from these kids has been the development of our new after school program. Participants from previous years return to Windsor Park Nordic Centre weekly throughout the ski season for a chance to ski with their pals and continue to receive free ski lessons from qualified CANSI instructors and pointers from their mentors. All the costs continue to be covered, including trail fees and use of our equipment.

Making Equipment Donations

It is time to look through your garage and basement for those skis you or your kids have grown out of, and put them to back into service through the Great Get Off Your Butt and Ski program for inner city kids.

Building up our program is exciting because we are able to offer the experience of skiing to more kids. We're limited partly because of a small collection of equipment. We are looking for used ski equipment with reasonably up-to-date systems to be in keeping with our current inventory. Below are some of the things we look for:

• Skis: In good shape, 150 to 185 cm preferred, other lengths accepted
• Boots: sizes 35-42 preferred, with either Solomon or NNN system. We are not using 3-pin bindings or boots.
• Bindings: Solomon SNS or Profil preferred. The NNN is accepted, especially if boots and skis are included. If skis are mounted with other bindings and are otherwise in good shape, we will replace the bindings.
• Poles: kids sizes

If you have something you would like to donate, please contact us through this web site or the CCSAM.