Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort Launches Snow Day Program

Dec. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Las Vegas—Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (LVSSR) launches its Snow Day program aimed at getting local youth excited about outdoor winter recreation. The new weekday field trip-style program is designed for public, private and home school groups and includes ski or snowboard lessons as well as education about winter first aid and the ecology of the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area (SMNRA).

The program kicks off in January 2012 and runs through March. The cost is $30 per student with a complimentary chaperone ticket included for every 12 students; groups are limited to 200 students and LVSSR requires schools to provide one chaperone for every 20 students. Scholarships will also be available for children whose families cannot afford the registration fee; applications are available at www.skilasvegas.com. Schools are encouraged to register and reserve a Snow day date at least 30 days in advance.

The program includes:
•   A two-hour ski or snowboard lesson taught by a PSIA/AASI instructor, lift ticket, equipment rental and helmet.
•   Ski and snowboarder safety, cold weather safety and winter first aid course taught by a member of the National Ski Patrol.
•   Introduction to the winter ecology of the SMNRA taught by a U.S. Forest Service-trained interpreter.
•   Lunch and a cup of hot cocoa.

“Every kid deserves a snow day,” says Kevin Stickelman, LVSSR’s president who designed the program. “Las Vegas students usually miss out on the outdoor winter activities that children elsewhere in the nation enjoy every year. The Snow Day program gives them the opportunity to explore skiing and snowboarding in the Spring Mountains and will hopefully help them develop a lifelong passion for winter recreation that will lead to a healthier and more active generation.”

According to 2011 statistics published by the Nevada Institute of Children’s Research & Policy, 34.3 percent of Nevada children entering kindergarten are over weight or obese. “This is unacceptable,” says Dan Hooper, LVSSR’s director of guest services who will be overseeing the program. “Playing outside needs to make a comeback if our children are to grow up healthy and happy. We hope that local schools will see the Snow Day program as an opportunity to show their students the benefits of leading an active, healthy lifestyle as well as providing them with an unique educational experience.”

The Centers for Disease Control and the American Heart Association warn that physical inactivity and obesity are a major risk factor in heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Increasing physical activity helps to control weight; reduces blood pressure and stress; reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers; and can even improve our psychological well being. ¹Strategies to promote lifelong physical activity among US children are needed to stem the adverse health consequences of inactivity²  and resulting obesity.

Groups interested in participating in the program should contact Hooper at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, 702.385.9950 or dan@lvssr.com.

¹American Heart Association
²The Journal of the American Medical Association

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About Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (LVSSR) is located approximately one hour from downtown Las Vegas in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Established in 1963, LVSSR offers guests access to 16 trails via three chair lifts and one surface lift. The area features LVSSR’s Ski & Snowboard School; The Strip Terrain Park, a freestyle terrain park for skiers and snowboarders; and off-slope amenities. Powdr
Corp., a leading mountain resort company, operates LVSSR in partnership with the USDA Forest Service under a special-use permit. Visitors may access LVSSR from the city via the Ski Vegas Ski Bus, a shuttle service operated with the support of the USDA Forest Service and operated by Triple J Tours (CPCN #2032). For more information, please visit www.skilasvegas.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.