There might not have been enough snow on the ground, but the 35th Annual Snowarama event still had a good year. The event, which raises money for Camp Easter Seal programs run by the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, raised a total of $105,033.
John Denysek, Regional Director of the Abilities Council, says that while organizers were disappointed that the ride had to be cancelled due to poor snow conditions, he was still pleased with the number of people coming out and enjoying the other parts of the event.
"It's my understanding that in the 35 year history, once in the '80s the ride was cancelled, and on two other occasions we had to move the ride out to Good Spirit Lake where the snow conditions were better. Hopefully we won't see it again for another 35 years," Denysek says.
He notes that the organizers tried to arrange alternate activities in order to keep people entertained in the city over the day. Snow tags made people eligible for discounts at local dealers. A lunch was held at the Abilities Center, and participants were made aware of events and attractions in the city. Even without the ride, the day did raise a significant amount of money, and Denysek says it's great to see that while the snow didn't come, the support for children with disabilities was as strong as ever.
"I think it just speaks to the charitable nature of individuals, snowmobilers coming out and supporting the cause. It's all about enhancing the lives of children with disabilities, and we're really proud of being able to facilitate that."
This year also marked the first year that Bailey Clark was the ambassador, and Denysek says she's a great example of how these programs help kids. He notes that her family has been an active part of the efforts to raise money, and her school Langenberg High School has raised $2,800.
"I think Bailey is an incredible ambassador, she has a smile that will light up a room... She has attended Camp Easter Seals for the past six years and the Summer Fun Program for the past two, so she's well versed in how the money is put to use and an excellent example of what those funds raising dollars do," Denysek says.
The three top fundraisers for 2012 are Kenn Propp, Bruce Peppler and Courtney Frank. Denysek would like to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers, and participants for making the event a success, year after year.
