For many young area athletes, cost can often be a major factor in whether or not they can continue on in the sport they love.
Some local athletes may just get the funding they need following the first annual Snow Champs Chomp, Monday.
The event, sponsored by Algoma’s Water Tower Inn, is geared to raise money to cover training and competition costs for the area’s emerging snowboard, cross-country and downhill ski athletes.
Those athletes include Myrica Hinich, a member of the Ontario SBX (boardercross) team, the Searchmont Ski Runners, and the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club.
Almost 50 local businesses have donated products for door prizes, and both silent and live auctions.
Craig Hartsburg, coach of the Soo Greyhounds and Canada’s world junior gold medal-winning team, will serve as guest speaker, sharing highlights of Canada’s Jan. 5 world championship win in Sweden and his insight on sport.
“Ultimately, it comes down to being the best you can be,” said Hartsburg.
“The important thing is that young athletes need to focus on their goal, their dream, whether it’s to win a gold medal, or to just be really good at their sport.”
“We are very excited about this,” said Britta Wolfert, an event organizer and mother of Hinich. “I think it’s wonderful that people and businesses in the community are coming together to help these kids compete. And with Craig as guest speaker, we have yet another winter sport involved in this first-time event.”
The area has a long record of producing winter sport athletes. It was only six short years ago that 18-year-old Searchmont resident Myrica Hinich took up snowboarding. Her first race was an alpine event held at Searchmont Resort last February. From there, an impressive showing at the provincials in Collingwood, Ont., led to the national championships, which resulted in the invitation to train as part of the provincial team.
For more than 50 years, the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club has produced accomplished athletes, such as Olympian Wayne Dustin and 2006 Canadian National Champion Adam Kates.
Snow Champs Chomp begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and a “winter-hearty” dinner at 6:30 p.m.
The evening will include door prizes, silent auction and a live auction. Cost is $25 for adults and $15 for children.
Tickets are available at Algoma’s Water Tower Inn, Source for Sports and Searchmont Resort, or call Wolfert at 759-8116 for ticket delivery.
