Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information:
Karl Stone: 800-887-5464 x202
Alice Pearce: 800-887-5464 x203
Email: media@SkiNH.com
Download Release:  www.SkiNH.com

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITIVE NEW
HAMPSHIRE SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS

NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH, OCTOBER 2009 - The Friends of New Hampshire Skiing grant program helps New Hampshire's young competitive skiers and snowboarders become Olympians and international champions.  Operated by Ski NH member resorts, the program offers financial assistance to individual skiers and snowboarders to help offset the costs of race training and traveling.  College athletes and post-graduate athletes training for international competition are eligible.  Interested athletes must have a New Hampshire affiliation either through residence, college or ski club. The deadline for submitting a grant application to Ski NH is November 30, 2009.  The grants are awarded based on need and an athlete's past performance and his or her ability to be in serious contention for a national team or the equivalent. 

To receive a grant application, contact Ski NH at (800) 887-5464 or email Ski NH at media@skinh.com.   The grant application can also be downloaded from Ski NH's website, www.SkiNH.com.

Last season's recipients included alpine racers William Ford of Plymouth and Trevor Leafe of Monroe; Caitlin Ciccone of Littleton who competes in Ski Cross; Dylan Ferguson who attended Waterville Valley Academy and competes in aerial freestyle skiing; Ted Broderick of Amherst who competes in disabled alpine racing; and Angela Mercieri of Littleton who competes in alpine snowboarding.  Each competitor received a grant for $1,000.  

Friends of NH Skiing also contributed $19,000 to support the UNH Ski Team and $7,000 to support the Plymouth State University Ski Team.

Friends of New Hampshire Skiing is the only program of its kind in the United States.  Since its inception as Friends of UNH Skiing in 1978, the program has raised more than $700,000.  This past season, more than $36,000 was raised through ticket sales.  The tickets, donated by Ski NH member resorts, are packaged and sold to the public with all funds raised dedicated to supporting the training of these athletes.

Ski NH is the statewide association representing 36 alpine and cross country resorts and more than 200 lodging properties in New Hampshire.  For more information on ski areas, lodging packages, and updated winter events at Ski NH mountain resorts, call Ski NH at (800) 88-SKI-NH (800-887-5464) or visit the Ski NH website at www.SkiNH.com.  For statewide media relations assistance, visit the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism's media room at http://visitnh.gov/media/ or contact Mr. Tai Freligh at 603-271-2343, option #2.