LI Annual Ski-A-Thon

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Created on Monday, 11 March 2019 03:21

Written by Nick Anastasi

LYNDONVILLE- A chilly night of skiing was in store, around the Bob Heath track at Lyndon Institute. Besides an occasional warm up inside or out by the fire in the middle of the track, skiers on LI’s Nordic Ski Team can finally toss in the towel, as their season is officially done. Not only is the annual Ski-A-Thon the final event the team participates in, it also is a great way to fundraise for the team, which enables them to do things like compete in races, or purchase nice gear for them to use during the season. 

 The Ski-A-Thon originated in the 1970’s and ran strong for a few years but fell off the rails for a few years and was revitalized in the early 90’s. Manges has been the coach for the past few years, each year trying to keep the tradition alive. Some years more than others, this task can be quite challenging, causing them to not run it either due to ran or a lack of snow. Other years, such as this winter, have been phenomenal for Nordic Skiing in general, but for the Ski-A-Thon the weather was perfect, a little chilly but clear overnight and sunny the next morning.

The Ski-A-Thon is a fundraiser for LI's Nordic Ski Team, who are the main participants in the event, Getting sponsered by neighbors, relatives, or even classates. The public is welcome to join in, and it has not been uncommon in the past to see a few people taking laps around the track. 

LI Nordic Coach Chris Manges, said that “they are really in their prime now, doing some of the best skiing of the season” adding that this fun event that they participated in is a great way for them to “cap off the season”.  

 Austin Sicard, a freshman on the team, was still out there skiing around the track Saturday morning after the event getting his turns in. “Its my first year doing the Ski-A-Thon, but it’s been a lot of fun” said Sicard, “I’m really excited to do it again next year”.

Besides just raising money for the team, LI Nordic gives 10 percent of the proceeds raised to HOPE as well as the Lyndon Food Shelf. “I’m really happy that I am able to be apart of something bigger than just the team, but we all work really hard to make it happen” Sicard said.

“These guys work really hard, and the school serves us brunch in the morning which is nice” said Manges.