Chill Program Launched

Thursday, January 12, 2006 09:46 AM

Its called "Chill" and its a snowboard program aimed at high risk youth in Prince George. Under the banner of the 2010 Legacies Now, the program is aimed at youth aged 12 -24 and has the support of 2010 Legacies, Tabor Mountain, the City of Prince George, and a $25 thousand dollar infusion of money from Bell Canada.

75 youth from Prince George will have an opportunity to take part in this program this year. This program is only offered in two other cities in Canada namely Vancouver and Toronto.

Its focus is on kids at risk. This would include kids who have had encounters with the juvenile justice system, those who are struggling with drugs, violence, anger or depression.

Here's how the program works:

Once a week kids are taken to the slopes and given everything they need to learn to snowboard, that includes everything from lift tickets to head-to-toe gear. The vehicle of snowboarding is used to help kids achieve goals they might not otherwise reach.

The program is funded through several channels. First, most of the equipment and funding comes from the programs founders, Burton Snowboards Corporation out of Vermont. Foundations, and individuals generously donate the rest. Administrative costs are said to be about 13% of the overall budget.
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Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 09:46 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on January 12 2006 1:09 PM

IF YOUR A PERSON WHO OBEYS THE LAW THEN YOU HAVE TO BUY YOUR OWN BOARD, PAY YOUR OWN LIFT TICKETS,AND NEW HEAD TO TOE GEAR GIVEN TO YOU FREE. BE A BAD ASS AND PEOPLE WILL GIVE EVERYTHING FREE..BULL..LETS BRING BACK CHAIN GANGS THE LASH.. MAKE THESE SCUMBAGS NEVER WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE AGAIN. LETS REWARD THE GOOD KIDS,AND PUNISH THE SCUMBAGS.

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on January 12 2006 1:18 PM

(GIVEN TO YOU FREE) should not be there

Posted by: owl on January 12 2006 2:19 PM

It says "the program is aimed at youth aged 12 -24"

I do have a problem calling an 18+ year old a "kid", most certainly a 24 year old.

Skiing and snowboarding is a bit of an "elite" sport when combined with a downhill component which requires lift tickets.

The board itself can run a couple of hundred dollars and higher. Ruins has been broken into on several occasions to get some of the high-end boards they used to display in the windows on 3rd.

What "kid" can afford to continue to do this kind of sport?

It just seems to be a bit extravagant to me. It does not appear to follow the principle of "teaching them how to fish rather than giving them fish" unless that is part of the program and it is just not described here.

Posted by: Gofaster on January 12 2006 2:55 PM

Tell us how you really feel Don.....lol

Posted by: flowerchild on January 12 2006 3:37 PM

Who says the kids are scumbags? Not all who would take part in this kind of thing have been in trouble with the law, maybe some kid who has been abused could develop some self esteem if they had a sense of accomplishment that might come with learning how to snowboard. Sometimes some kids just need something to make themselves feel special in order to get them off the loser track. Its worth a try.

Posted by: ammonra on January 12 2006 5:30 PM

So Don doesn't actually believe in property rights. The people who own the money give it to a group that spends it helping young people in the hope they may turn their lives around. It's their money, their property and they can do what they want with ut. Why does people exercising their property rights get up your nose? It's none of your business or concern. Mind it!

Posted by: Chadermando on January 12 2006 6:40 PM

I support the program and think it will do a lot of good for our community.

Posted by: owl on January 12 2006 8:22 PM

In case others have not hunted on the net ... here is some more info. ...

this takes you to the program site on Burton's web page

Intersting to see PG in lights next to those other cities, sort of makes it look like a multi-million population City....

and interesting to see it started in a City about the size of PG .... somethng to keep in mind when one thinks we are to small to produce something which will become popular in other places ....

http://chill.org

here are some of the "kids" Don feels are "scumbags"
http://mirror06.burton.com/images/chill/getinvolved.jpg

Seattle
http://www.nwsnow.org/displayarticle29.html

Los Angeles
http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/snow/news/article/0,13009,1147113,00.html

Vancouver
http://www.surfingvancouverisland.com/snow/newz.htm

it's a local success story in Burlington, VT

http://www.vermontguardian.com/sports/112004/Chilln.shtml

Chill in Bosnia, etc ...
http://balkansnet.org/bosnow.html

Posted by: Percy on January 12 2006 9:01 PM

I would like to thank all those involved in this project.

It's a start to help young people get back on the right track if they haven't had the opportunity yet.

If some kids are anything like their parents, they don't have a hope in heck of figuring out that they were born into a disfunctional family.

Unless of course, they have an opportunity to see and experience hanging around other people who I expect will play a part on being role models for these young people. Percy

Posted by: diplomat on January 13 2006 5:45 PM

>http://mirror06.burton.com/images/chill/getinvolved.jpg<

Owl, your post is very refreshing and positive.

Great picture! Thank you!

Posted by: SpeakingOut on January 16 2006 2:24 PM

This is an excellent idea, although I agree the age limit should not exceed 16 or 17, the younger the children are, the easier they will be to impress with different and better values. Kids know what is missing in their lives (love, discipline, consideration, self respect, self value - to name a few) and when they are offered an honest opportunity to learn, earn and recieve these values, they will work hard to accomplish that success. In the beginning it is the snowboarding they are after, but in the end the snowboarding is a small reward compared to what they will take with them for the rest of their lives.