The Kimberley Alpine Team (KAT) is currently in a contest to win $50,000, and as there is just one week left in the first round of voting, they are seeking the support of the community and beyond to help keep them in the running.
“This has been an extremely challenging season for our team,” said KAT program director Ben Cohen. “After an arsonist destroyed the Northstar Express Chairlift at Kimberley Alpine Resort we were forced to modify or cancel all of our programs.”
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Cohen explained that for a small town, non-profit sports organization such as KAT comprised of 60 athletes aged four to 10, having to cancel programs is a “crushing blow” to not only morale, but finances as well.
“When many people may have given up, our team dug deeper,” Cohen said. “We were able to modify our competitive racing and freestyle programs and save our season. The athletes have been hiking up the hill to our training areas, they’ve adapted to the way we’ve had to work and train and they’ve become stronger, faster and more resilient in the process.”
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As a matter of fact, Cohen said that this team is actually producing some of its best competitive results in recent memory, and now they have a shot of making it to the top ten in the Mackenzie Top Peak Contest. This is a national campaign focused on the spirit of ski communities on and off the hill.
Cohen said his hope is that the residents of Kimberley will rally together and help the team “rise from the ashes of a tremendously difficult season.”
“Winning this competition would be amazing for KAT, good for the community and surrounding area,” he said. “But we can’t do it alone. This region always shows its heart by supporting one another and on behalf of KAT, I’m hoping to see everyone get behind our kids and help us make it to the Top Peak finish line.”
To win, a team must come ahead with the most points and points are earned based on votes as well as social media engagement on Instagram. KAT will earn 20 points for every photo posted to Instagram with the hashtag #toppeakkimberley2022 between now and March 28.
“It doesn’t have to be a photo of skiing, or even ski-related,” Cohen explained. “Every photo with this hashtag will help keep us in the running, plus it is a great chance to show Mackenzie Investments all of the incredible images from our area.”
Additionally, KAT will receive five points for every vote submitted at www.mackenzietoppeak.ca. Simply click “Find My Peak,” search for Kimberley and click vote.
Comparing the contest to the season his team has just endured, Cohen admits this won’t be an easy battle, as Kimberley is up against numerous teams from across the country, some with population bases in the millions.
“We might be up against some big resorts with a huge population, but we have heart,” Cohen said. “Let’s show them how our tight-knit community can make a fairy-tale comeback.”
The first round of voting ends March 21 and each team who makes it into the top 10 will advance to the next round. voting will then continue for those 10 teams until March 28 when the top five teams will advance and the winner will of the $50,000 grand prize will be chosen by Mackenzie Investments. Kimberley currently sits in fifth place.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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