Nearly $500,000 raised for Health Association
The TELUS Nancy Greene Alpine Classic will celebrate 20 years when racers take to the course on Feb. 19 and 20.
The event has raised nearly $500,000 for the Sun Peaks Health Association over two decades, according to event co-ordinator Melanie Smith. The Alpine Classic began as a fundraiser to help replace the roof on the Sun Peaks Alpine Club building, and it helped raise funds for Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops before financially supporting the health centre.
“It’s been an important fundraiser and the goal has always been to support the community in any way that we could, locals as well as guests who come in for the race,” Smith said.
“The need for a proper health facility has been the driving force behind it because of how the resort has grown in terms of permanent residents and the increase in visitors.”
The 2016 race will once again see teams of four skiers compete on the Sun Catcher run. Each team must include at least one male and one female racer and participants must be over 19 years of age.
“We’ve had people come in from all over B.C. and some come in from Alberta as well,” Smith said. “It’s become fairly well known. We have a lot of repeat participants that come back every year because they love the event and meeting up with people they race against every year.”
The Alpine Classic has averaged around 28 teams each year, and Smith said she hoped to see the event grow to 40 teams. Registration is $700 per team and participants receive a racers’ breakfast, lunch and a chance to test their times against former Olympic medallists Nancy Greene Raine, Kathy Kreiner and Steve Podborski.
Skiers, telemarkers, snowboarders and adaptive ski program members are encouraged to participate.
“There’s room for everybody,” Smith said. “There’s no pressure to be an expert racer and folks just like to come out and try their hand at racing.”
“It’s fun for them to race with the Olympic champions that we have supporting the event as well.”
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