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Congratulations go to VASS skier/instructor/racer Mark Hopkins who received the “Comeback” award at the April 5th North Shore Sport Awards! Mark (in red) is shown here with Mason Gratto from award sponsor Twist Conditioning.

Special Olympics British Columbia has just announced that Cory Duhaime, one of our Blue Streaks – our VASS Race Team – has been selected to its Alpine Ski Team to compete in Special Olympics’ National Winter Games in Jasper, Alberta, in March 2012. The National Winter Games are held every four years and are the qualifying races for Special Olympics’ World Winter Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2013. Cory qualified for this selection at Special Olympics’ Provincial Games in Kelowna in March 2011, where he won Gold in the top division in each of the Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super Giant Slalom races. “I started training and racing with VASS in 2008, hoping that it might help me get to the National Games. Thanks to my coach Roy Sperling for helping me get there and to all my teammates on the Blue Streaks too”, Cory said after his selection was announced. “I still have a lot of work to do and I’m already looking forward to training with the Blue Streaks next year”. We wish Cory good luck as he sets his sights on Korea 2013.

Our Annual Year End Party will be taking place on Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 7:00 – 930 p.m. at Varsity Ridge Bowling Lanes, in Vancouver. Food will be provided and there will be a cash bar.

Come and enjoy a fun night of bowling with VASS.

Click here for directions:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Join us for a fun-filled evening which will celebrate YOU: For all the exceptional volunteer commitments you have made towards VASS. To RSVP, please email info@vass.ca so we have a sense of how many people will be attending. Hope to see you all on Saturday, April 30, 2011

Date: Saturday, April 30, 2011

Time: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Location: Varsity Ridge Lanes
2120 W. 15th Avenue, Vancouver

Purpose: TO CELEBRATE the AMAZING VASS VOLUNTEERS of 2011!

Dear VASS Member

This is a call to ACTION!!  We need ALL VASS members rally and support our only major annual event – the VASS Challenge Cup on Thurs Mar 10th! 
Last year 5 people raised the majority of the funds.  Can you imagine EVERYBODY got into ACTION (10 minutes only to forward an email to your family/friends requesting sponsorship)?  YOU can make a difference!
We would love to have EVERY VASS MEMBER INVOLVED by attending the event and sending an email to friends requesting sponsorship!
If you are unable to attend the event then we suggest that you ask your friends/family to support your passion for VASS by donating to the event under the Donate Now button at www.vasscup.ca.

The process is easy……..DO THIS NOW ~>

 1) Go to www.vasscup.ca and register

2) Send an email to your friends/family by clicking on “Manage your profile” ~> “Send emails” OR send an email to friends in your words and have them go to www.vasscup.ca ~>   “Sponsor a Racer/Volunteer” or “DONATE NOW”

See you on March 10th!  Thank you for being part of our amazing VASS community!

Anne Bethune
VASS, President

Dear VASS Supporter / Friend / Volunteer / Student

You are receiving this email as you are on our database for having participated in the VASS Cup in the past, having shown an interest in participating, or having volunteered for VASS this year / in past years. If you don’t wish to receive these updates through to March, please reply “unsubscribe” to this email.

The VASS Cup is gaining momentum again, and looks set to be a great day on the slopes of Grouse Mountain on 10th March this year – just six short weeks away!!  

We have refined the format so that there will be the familiar “race” again this year (3 able bodied racers teamed with a disabled racer) down a simple course on the Cut – two runs, and the prizes going to those who match their two times most closely……..some race…….the emphasis one FUN, and laughs, and getting to know each other! For those who don’t want to “race” you can enjoy the sledge hockey, or zip trek, or just cheer your friends along…

There’s a banquet lunch, silent auction and other prizes to end the day too!

It’s VASS’ major fund-raiser for the year, and thanks to the help of Grouse Mountain, and our sponsors, almost all the funds raised go to VASS from the day. It’s the only way we can continue to run our programs, buy adaptive equipment, and train volunteers.

So if you’re thinking of coming out, and haven’t yet signed up – please do so now!!  Go to http://www.vasscup.ca and sign up as a Racer or Volunteer and send out your emails to your friends’ family and other who might sponsor you, or have an interest in joining us. All are welcome who want to support VASS.

Remember – the day costs us per head to orchestrate, and we are therefore asking everyone who signs up to raise $150 in pledges…..not so difficult if you send out to friends etc. you’ll be surprised how many happy to chip in for a good cause.

If you can’t make it and want to make a donation anyway, please go to Donate. Tax receipts issued for anything over $25.

More later – see you there!!

SKIMP stands for Skills Improvement.  In recognition of the hard work and passion that our volunteers put into their activities at VASS, we offer opportunities throughout the season for our volunteers to improve their skills in many different areas, from improving their own skiing, to working with adaptive equipment, to getting a better understanding of disabilities.  These are also opportunities to interact with fellow volunteers from across VASS in both learning and social settings.

The SKIMP sessions are on Grouse, and we ask that people meet outside the VASS hut for a 7:00 p.m. start. They can get their tickets at Guest Services and go up as early as they like. The session goes from 7-9 p.m.

Dates available:

Friday, January 21
Wednesday, February 2
Thursday, February 17
Tuesday, March 1
Monday, March 14
Wednesday, March 30

You can register to any of those dates on line – SIGN UP

Come out and join us for a memorable day on the slopes of Grouse Mountain. Ski or snowboard in a fun “race” teamed with a disabled athlete – or just enjoy the mountain activities including zip-trek and sledge hockey before a gourmet wrap up banquet.

Please follow the simple links to sign up for the event as a racer or volunteer. Or click on the following links to make a donation to a registered racer or volunteer. VASS needs your support to help make this annual event a huge success. Every donation and pledge is appreciated 100 times over!

About The Challenge Cup

Teams of 3 skiers/boarders will be matched with an athlete with a disability for a fun race. Your day will include:

– An all day lift pass to ski/snowboard
– Access to zip-trek and/or Eye of the Wind
– A fun race and sledge hockey
– Morning refreshments and banquet lunch
– Award, auction and prizes

Registration is limited and will sell out fast!

Register as a racer  

– If you are an individual racer, we will assign you to a team.
– If you already have a team of 3, please enter your team name in your VASS Cup profile, when you register.
– Your sponsorship pledges will cover your entry fees, lift passes, lunch and prizes.
– There is a cost to VASS for every participant. Please take this into account when raising your pledges, $150 minimun is our expectation.

Register as a volunteer

– We also need volunteers on the day to assist with coordinating the event and helping the disabled athletes.
– Volunteers can raise sponsorship pledges (same as racers) to cover costs of the day and help VASS.
– There is a cost to VASS for every participant. Please take this into account when raising your pledges, $150 minimun is our expectation.

Thank you all for your support at the Cruise Lottery on November 24, 2010.  Congratulations to the winner – Lee Mounsey

By buying the tickets you helped VASS raise $1705!

We will organize another Cruise Lottery on March 3, 2011 at our 4^th Annual VASS Challenge Cup so please check back.

Thanks again to all of you,