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Stark County Ski Club

Joining clubs to stay active is nothing new. It’s always great to have those like-minded people cheering you on as you accomplish a goal or try something new. The Stark County Ski Club combines group sporting activities with social events. It’s not just a ski club, it’s a social gathering of friends who like to ski, bike, kayak, camp, and just socialize. Originally called the Timken Ski Club, the Stark County Ski Club was founded in 1982 by a group of employees from the Timken Company. Currently the club has over 250 members from 6 counties and is going strong. Membership is open to the public and the fee is only $20.00 per year.

Where does the ski club go and how do they decide on destinations? It all starts with a survey of the club members. Representatives from the trip committee, which consists of a chairman and 6 members, attend a ski destination conference to meet with representatives from all over the United States and Canada. Consideration is given to affordability, airport accessibility, and popularity. The trip committee reviews proposals from chosen vendors, books the group, and creates a schedule for the year.

Here is the schedule for 2019: January 5 – Peek’n Peak; January 16-18 – Holiday Valley and Horizonte; January 27-February 1 – Sunday River/Maine; February 8 – Seven Springs; February 23-24 – Peek’n Peak and Holiday Valley; and March 2-9 – Panorama, British Columbia.

There are 1 and 2-day trips as well as week-long adventures. The club tries to hit various areas of the country and attempts to seek out new locations while keeping club favorites in the mix. A favorite destination of long-time member Charlene Corlett is Banff Ski Resort in Alberta, Canada. She loved the scenery and the European feel of the town with its chateau-style buildings. If you don’t have someone to ski with, no worries, this club doesn’t let anyone ski alone. They will even match you up if you need a roommate for a ski trip.

The fun doesn’t stop in spring, summer, and fall. The schedule for the Stark County Ski Club is full of activities for members as well as opportunities to help plan events and promote the club. In addition to the trip committee there is a member that handles the biking schedule, a member for socials, one for marketing, merchandise, and one for Face Book. The club plans bike trips every Tuesday from April to October on bike trails in Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, and Portage counties. They also ventured out on an overnight bike trip to Pennsylvania and spent the night in a converted train caboose! What a fun way to stay in shape over the summer.

Ski trips can be expensive. To offset some of the cost, members volunteer as a group for various organizations and events that then donate money to the club based on hours worked. The Stark County Ski Club spent four seasons working at Blossom Music Center and now works at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and InfoCision Stadium.

Socializing is a must for this group. The club member in charge of planning social events includes a wide variety of things such as wineries, movies, concerts and various attractions. New activities are always on the horizon and suggestions are welcome. Other activities planned for members include a camping trip to Mohican to canoe, kayak, or bike, and a whitewater rafting trip to West Virginia. This club is always on the go!

The Stark County Ski Club does more than group activities and trips. They also raise money for charity. “To date we have donated over $18,000 to charitable organizations over the past 10 years,” said Gail Vogt. Vogt currently oversees marketing for the club. “Our charitable donations and involvement have been with Toys 4 Tots, Kylie Jane Long Foundation, Three Trackers handicap ski group, Akron Canton Food Bank, Special Olympics, The Sanfilippo Foundation, Sports for Sound, Stark County Bike Club’s kid’s safety program, and we helped raise enough money to purchase a handicap sit ski for one of our member’s son.”  The club seeks out charities that support children, sports, or both.

How do the members keep track of all of these activities? Stark County Ski club has a great website, www.StarkCountySkiClub.org, a Face Book page, a monthly newsletter, and a club meeting the third Tuesday of the month from September through March at Mulligan’s Pub. Club members come to socialize from 6-7 pm and conduct business from 7-8 pm. It’s a great way for them to keep updated and connected while planning the next year of activities and trips.

The Stark County Ski Club is a great organization, not just for skiing but for those that want to stay active all year long. There are many long-time members that have forged great friendships as well as new members that have been welcomed into the club. If this sounds like a club you’d like to join just head to the website, click on the membership tab, and follow the instructions. See you on the slopes!

Stark County Ski Club

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