Volunteering for VSC ..... Why Are We Asking for YOUR Valuable Time?

You are a member of a great organization that is passionate about developing the best possible ski programs for all of our children. As with any sporting organization, funding is a key component to being successful and allows us to hire the best staff, purchase good equipment and provide our children with all of the opportunities the sport has to offer.

Funding for our programs comes from several sources, a significant amount of which is generated by volunteers. Thousands of dollars (45%) of our annual program funding is generated by the club hosting major race events and our local Ski Swap. ALL of these events are run entirely by volunteers. We require the support of all of our members to ensure we can continue to run these events and in turn, maintain reasonable membership fees. We want to keep our fees low, but without these volunteer-run events, it is inevitable that our fees will increase. Volunteering means keeping money in your pocket! Our volunteer pool has been small in the past, but our club has grown and it is necessary that we recruit more members to help the club remain cost effective and vibrant.

In addition to fundraising, race events are a key component of ski skill development and provide the opportunity for our racers from Entry Level to Masters to test their competitive skills on our home course. They are great fun to participate in and are a fantastic introduction to the competitive aspect of our sport. We are very fortunate to have solid support from Silver Star Resort and together we have built a reputation for running really great race events for all racers that participate in our programs.

To underscore the importance of volunteering with the club, we have established volunteer guidelines that outline the recommended commitment we hope to receive from our member families. Obtaining a commitment from our membership eases the load on our organizing committees (who are volunteers and parents as well) and greatly simplifies our event planning. The requirements are not intended to be onerous and they have been established with the hope that all families in the club will easily achieve their volunteer commitment.

REMEMBER:

• Volunteering is a reward in itself. Volunteering at ski events makes you part of the action. You can ski, enjoy the day, watch your kids race AND contribute to their successes. You will become involved with a great group of people who work hard, play harder and really know how to enjoy all the sport has to offer.
• You will have the entire ski season to meet your volunteer commitment. There are several events and activities to choose from throughout the season (both on and off snow). Once you get started, you will see how easy it is to help out at our events.
• No prior experience is necessary. The club will provide all of the training and support that is required. (there are several non-skiing positions available at race events!)

For more information contact our Volunteer Coordinator: Anne Tremblay  tremfam@telus.net