Non-Profit Defers Costs So Newark Kids Can Hit The Slopes
VERNON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A group in New Jersey is working to keep kids active during the winter.
The cost of winter sports can keep many kids on the sideline.
As CBS2's Vanessa Murdock explained, when it's cold outside it can be hard for some to get involved in sports.
On Thursday, a group of kids from Brick Peshine Academy in Newark hit the slopes in 70 degree weather.
The second through eighth graders are 'dreamers' -- that means they've satisfied both the educational and social requirements of the academy.
They were out cutting the powder courtesy of the National Winter Activity Center in Vernon Township. The non-profit aims to keep kids active and healthy even in the dregs of winter said CEO Schone Malliet.
"We want to make sure kids have access irrespective of geography, economy, or knowledge of knowing what's there," Malliet said.
A day at the activity center starts with high fives, and a healthy lunch.
"The food, it's better than our school,' Kristopher Walker said.
Then it's time to gear up -- helmets are required.
"I am wearing the ski shoes and it feels like it's six layers on," Moyinolwa Onifade said.
That might have been a little too much clothing. Winters are supposed to be cold and snowy, but not today.
Students took to groomed trails via the chair lift and the enthusiasm on the way down was evident.
The extreme warmth was softening the snowpack which typically slows skis down, but in some cases it can also make it hard to stay upright.
For Sanaa Wade -- slushy snow or not -- she's ready to tackle the mountain.
"I like going up the high mountain and coming down fast," she said.
Schools typically visit the center six times in a season. The program costs $450 per student, but most, if not all of that cost gets covered by donations.