May 25, 2017
The 2017 Season officially ended at the National Winter Activity Center on March 18th, with a record setting number of 1,161 participants and 5,305 instructions sessions in the Elev8 Learn program. The Center provided over 6,902 healthy meals to youth in the Elev8 Learn and Elev8 Compete programs.
The Community Foundation of New Jersey and its Warm Jacket Fund, created by a fundholder to support this amazing work, are proud to partner with NWAC for Sussex County. Read below for more from NWAC’s recent newsletter.
Give to the Warm Jacket Fund via your
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2017 NWAC Post Season Newsletter
In addition to the success of our instruction programs, the Center was proud to be able to host events such as USCSA and USSA race. For the first time in over two decades FIS events returned to NJ. And we honored the memory and contributions of Jeff Pier with a U14/U12 Giant Slalom competition.
All our success would not have been possible without the support our amazing staff of Coaches, instructors, kitchen staff, facilities, snowmakers, groomers, lift operators, ski patrol, administrative, race operations and more, who are all dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of each Elevt8r that walks through the door!
Elev8 Learn
School aged children, within a 70-mile radius of the Center, also known as “Elev8rs”, mastered skills through the continuous progressive instruction in the Elev8 Learn program. Elev8rs embraced important life skills such as patience, persistence, teamwork, and challenged their fears. Each session included the practice and understanding of The Center’s Core Values, personalized instruction to help Elev8rs improve and expand their skill sets, healthy meals, equipment, and a safe environment.
Elev8trs who entered the program saw significant improvement in their skills from their first lesson on safety & equipment fitting to their last program session off the lift and on the trails!
We are very proud to serve all of our Elev8trs who are members of our participating Youth Serving Organizations such as:
- YMCA NJ Metro
- YMCA NY
- Boys & Girls Club
KIPP Schools- Helen Morgan School, Sparta
- BRICK Charter Schools
- Great Oaks Charter School
- Discovery Charter School
- Cristorey Charter School
- Sparta NJ Public Schools
- Great Oaks, Newark
- Girl Scouts of America
- STOKED – Brooklyn, NY
- Thrillseekers Tristate Area
- Riverside Military Academy, Atlanta GA
Elev8 Compete
The former Hidden Valley Ski Club opened its doors in 1976, providing the Vernon community, an opportunity to reach new peaks and socialize. Soon after, in 1980’s, a popularization of competitive racing began and spawned notable athletes such as Champion skier and Olympic Gold medalist, Donna Weinbrecht, U.S. Ski Team slalom racer, Nolan Casper, and U.S. Ski Team telemark skier, TJ Gogolen who all trained at the former Hidden Valley, now known as, The Center.
Returning the tradition of competition, The Center played host to over 529 school-age athletes in USSA, USCSA, and FIS races throughout the season. Clubs and teams from ME, VT, CAN, NH, MA, NJ, NY, and PA, had the opportunity to compete at The Center. Also, the USSA Eastern Region Training Group held a multi-day train/race FIS project for their U19+, as well as an abbreviated train/race program for U12/U14 athletes.
Jeff Pier Memorial Race
The Jeff Pier Memorial Race (a USSA non-scored event) was held at The Center, bringing in NJSRA and the U12/U14 USSA Eastern Region racers to compete, marking the first of an annual event. Members of the Pier family were in attendance to award athletes, scholarship recipients, and for the unveiling of a plaque in our honor garden as a testament to the life and legacy of Jeff Pier.
Jeff Pier, a New Jersey native, led programs at Hidden Valley Ski Area in New Jersey, Ford Sayer Academy in NH and St. Lawrence University in NY. He also led many coaching clinics for the United States Ski Association, was national chairman of NCAA alpine ski racing and occasionally coached with the U.S. Ski Team.