YOUR AD HERE »

Florida Ski Council raises $2,000 for BOEC

JANE STEBBINSsummit daily news

BRECKENRIDGE – Hundreds of Floridians from the Florida Ski Council tried to outbid one another in a silent auction last week to raise money for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC).The council, comprised of 12 ski clubs in the southeast, visits a ski resort each January to ski, shop, and more unusually, holds a silent auction to raise money for a local nonprofit organization. Monday, they held that auction and raised $2,000 for the BOEC.The BOEC was founded to empower people of all abilities through high quality outdoor experiences. The funds will be used to support the nonprofit’s programs.

“We like to give back to the local area that we visit,” said Bob Kendall, a skier from Port St. Lucia, Fla., and president of the council. “It’s mainly youth programs, disabled programs – whatever the local community would like us to do. We let them choose it, and we do it.”The council arrived Jan. 15 and leaves today.Through a contract with Breckenridge Ski Resort, the council receives $4 for every ski rental made through resort-owned shops, takes that credit and buys things in local ski shops. A separate raffle raises money for a hearing-impaired school in St. Augustine, Fla.”It was so nice they’re giving back to the community,” said Julie Chandler, national sales manager for the Village at Breckenridge.

“We’re honored to be the recipient of the silent auction,” said Tamara Marks, marketing and development director for the BOEC. “These types of monies and relationships make us able to provide such high quality lessons and instruction to our clients. It’s fantastic. We’re reaching people at the national level.”Breckenridge beat out Snowmass, Steamboat Springs and Park City, Utah, this year to host the group – one of the largest town has seen since the economic downturn began in 2001.Getting them here involved putting together a package deal of lodging, lift tickets, a discount shopping book and parties and going to Florida last fall to submit their bid. The council accepted that bid in November.”They gave us an excellent price, and we hadn’t done Breckenridge,” said Kendall. “It’s a great ski area; it offers so much.”



He said the group needed a break from recuperating from the four hurricanes that struck the state last summer.”We took a little bit of a hit there,” he said. “But we still need to have some fun.”Jane Stebbins can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 228, or at jstebbins@summitdaily.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.