Skiers and snowboarders race down the icy hills as the cold wind blows through the snow covered trees. This is a scene many Golden Bears witnessed on the Sierra Pacific High School Adventure Club ski trip. This month, the club got to take the day off from school and travel to China Peak Ski Resort. Students of all grade levels were able to spend the day riding ski lifts and hitting the slopes with their friends.
The club participated in several fundraisers to help make this trip happen. They submitted a basket for the SPHS Crab Feed, and also brought in a tree to the Christmas Tree Gala. In total, these booster club events raised a sum of $2000.
They also completed one more fundraiser to help pay for the trip. During the winter, Adventure Club members sold kettle corn, which was distributed by the business Kings Kettle Corn. They offered a variety of different flavors including sweet, spicy, caramel, chocolate and regular kettle corn. The snack was regularly priced; between eight to $12 depending on the flavor. With this event alone the club earned a total of $1,300, said Christina Smith, one of the Adventure Club advisors. All these fundraisers along with several donations helped pay for the entire trip.
The money was distributed in a variety of different ways. It helped cover students’ equipment rental, ski passes, and the $40 lessons for those who needed it.
This sure came in handy for first-time skiers like Micah Bradley, who is a sophomore and Adventure Club member at Sierra Pacific.
“It was the first time I touched a pair of skis,” Bradley said. “I picked it up quickly and was able to enjoy carving around without falling too much.”
The money was also used to fund the transportation to China Peak, as one charter bus and two vans had to be taken to accommodate all 86 students. But the club’s hard work fundraising surely paid off, since there wasn’t a single student who had to worry about the cost of going on the trip.
“If a student was to go on their own without the group deal, it would cost over $200 for all of that,” said Smith.
But students weren’t the only ones getting to have fun, there were even some teachers that got to whip out their equipment and join the action.
Jordan Dutra, a teacher on the ski trip said, “I enjoyed being able to snowboard with students and teach the first timers.”
Many enjoyed the experience of spending the day in the snow. It was a great way for Golden Bears to leave the pressures of school behind and share the experience together. Even if students graced the snow for the first time or came back as returning skiers or snowboarders, the day was certainly a one they won’t forget.
The club is currently planning a small hiking trip and possibly a white water rafting trip, but there are no fundraisers planned for the rest of the year.
For those interested in trying new things and embracing their inner adventurer, contact Mrs. Smith. The SPHS Adventure Club is always accepting new members.