Grade 4S & 5S Can Ski and Snowboard at Over 150 Ski Areas for Only $29.95

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 2013

Grade 4s & 5s can ski and snowboard at over 150 ski areas for only $29.95

Ski areas across Canada are opening their hearts and hills to over 700,000

4th and 5th graders, with an invitation to ski and snowboard all winter long!

All you need is a Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass, which is a coupon card offering 4th and 5th graders three complimentary lift tickets at each of the participating ski areas, all across Canada. With over 150 ski areas on this year’s SnowPass card, that amounts to over 450 days of skiing and snowboarding for a very low price of $29.95.

The Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass program is a ski and snowboard industry initiative that encourages kids to get outside and be active during the winter. Grades 4 and 5 were selected for the program because nine and ten years old are ideal ages to learn how to ski or snowboard. "The Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass not only provides a unique opportunity to 'try before you buy', it helps make skiing and snowboarding more accessible to families who might not otherwise be able to participate", explains Patrick Arkeveld, President and CEO of the Canadian Ski Council, the non-profit organization that is spearheading the program. "Even if the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass is only used once, it will have been worth it to the industry if we are providing a child with a once in a lifetime opportunity", says Mr. Arkeveld. “However, we hope that once a child tries skiing and snowboarding, they will love the sport for a lifetime,” added Mr. Arkeveld.

Now in its' seventeenth year, the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass Program has already generated over a million resort visits by nearly 500,000 grade 4 & 5 children from across Canada. The program is funded jointly by the Canada West Ski Areas Association, Ontario Snow Resorts Association, Quebec Ski Areas Association and the Atlantic Ski Area Association.

Anyone who is currently in grade 4 or grade 5 (or born in 2003 or 2004) is eligible for a SnowPass. The mail-in application forms are being distributed to schools across the country in early November. Applications are also available at the SnowPass web site www.snowpass.ca where you can apply for the SnowPass online by uploading a photo, proof of age or grade and making the payment of $29.95 including taxes.

The Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass can be used all across Canada and is valid beginning December 1st until the end of the ski season. For children who apply in grade 4, the SnowPass can be used in two seasons; while they are in grade 4, with the remaining available lift passes while they are in grade 5.

For more information on the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass, please visit www.snowpass.ca where you will find all the pertinent program information, including a full list of participating ski areas.

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The Canadian Ski Council, a national, not for profit association, was founded in 1977 to work on the behalf of the Canadian ski and snowboard industry to increase participation in recreational snowboarding, alpine and cross-country skiing in Canada.