The Fernie Nordic Society held a packed fundraiser for the “small yet fierce” Fernie Nordic Racers, age nine to 18, on Saturday night at The Arts Station. Music was provided by folk / bluegrass duo, Redgirl. Other than great music, food, drink, and the hope of fresh snow, the highlight of the evening was the synergism between Jason Burt and Veronique Roy of Snow Valley Lodging, and the Fernie Nordic Society.
“We are thrilled to be donating our first cheque of $1000 to the Fernie Nordic Society, and the race team,” said Burt. “This cheque starts our own fund that we’ve created at Snow Valley Lodging that we are calling ‘The Snow Valley Lodging Adventure Fund.’ It’s for aspiring adventurers who want to come and enjoy what Fernie offers. Veronique and I have enjoyed being out in the mountains, and our past treks created a love for adventure.”
Burt wants Snow Valley Lodging to take its love of adventure and put it to practical use in the community.
“We’ve coined the phrase ‘micro-funding’ to go along with our tiny homes, and what we’ve developed over at Snow Valley,” he explained. “What we foresee with the Adventure Fund is an annual tiny investment into the community. Tiny donations that we can add into the community to help Fernie adventurers.”
Nordic skier and event volunteer Susan Rohn said that a silent auction was part of the fundraising effort.
“One of the great items tonight is a handmade quilt by Sam Sedlowsky,” she said. “It’s a quilt that features the nordic hut, and the beautiful corduroy that we love to ski on. We also have some paintings, and guests get to enjoy some wine and some treats.”
Rohn said the funds will be put towards the Fernie Nordic Racers.
“The racers travel all over B.C., and they race classic and skate, so they need two sets of equipment,” she explained. “So our goal is to actually get a fleet of race skis that belong to the club, and then we’d be able to rent them out to the racers. We are not sure if we’re going to raise enough money tonight, but there’s also other things that we would like, like a wax hut at the Nordic Centre for the public. At the end of the night, we’ll meet with the Nordic Society and decide what we can actually purchase with the money.”