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Students gain access to Colorado slopes via Bison Blizzard Club

Bison Blizzard Club helps underprivileged Colorado students learn snow sports
Bison Blizzard Club helps underprivileged Colorado students learn snow sports 01:52

When you think of Colorado, one of the first things that (stereotypically) jumps to mind is skiing and snowboarding. Still, it's not something every Coloradan has the opportunity to do, whether it be from an educational standpoint, a distance equation or, for most people, cost. 

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Hitting the slopes is famously not a cheap thing to do these days, and that's is part of the reason why the Bison Blizzard Club was founded. 

Sam Haven, a teacher at Vista PEAK Preparatory school in Aurora and a Bison Blizzard Club instructor, said the idea was simple enough: Get kids on the slopes who haven't had the chance to go yet. 

"In this day and age to be able to afford ski gear and a lift ticket and all that, it is a major barrier to a lot of our students," Haven said. "One of the nice things is Echo Mountain is great because of its vicinity to the Denver metro area is ideal and also a very cost effective method for our students."

Echo Mountain boasts one of the cheapest options for skiers and riders in Colorado, with tickets ranging between $50 to $83 for adults, and kids tickets $30 to $50. The club is funded through donations and the fundraising efforts of the kids themselves. The kids raise the roughly $400 dollars it costs to get them on the mountain four times that year, with transportation and gear. 

Isabella Sanchez, Bison Blizzard club member, says it's no secret that price barrier has been keeping a lot of her clubmates from going themselves. 

"It gives underprivileged kids an opportunity who do not normally have the opportunity to go up to the slopes the opportunity to go into the mountains to ski or snowboard," Sanchez said. 

Sanchez spent Wednesday snowboarding with her buddies, and said she has gotten a lot better thanks to the club. Her friend Dakota Hill Gadd agreed. Snowboarding has given him the confidence to push through difficult challenges, no matter if they are on or off the hill. 

Haven said experiences kids like Sanchez and Gadd enjoy is a huge part of the club. 

"It is going to take some courage because it is a little scary. Then we have that conversation at the end of the day, say, you were courageous today, you were brave even when you were scared and how do we press through, stuck with it, how is that different than any other day of the week?" Haven said. "You watch the lightbulb turn on with some of these kids going 'oh yeah! School can be scary. Tests can be scary. Trying out for a new sport can be scary.'"

Haven says that moment makes all the extra effort he puts in as a club leader worth it. 

"It is something that fills my cup," Haven said with a big smile. 

Aside from inspiring confidence and helping students experience new things, it's created a bond between students who might not have interacted otherwise. 

"We are connected on another level," Sanchez said, referencing her friends in the club. 

Gradi Lanongo, another Bison Blizzard Club member, said it's a club that folds back into the school itself, seeing his fellow club members in the hall. 

"We see each other at school and we're like 'Yo, last time you took a crazy tumble!'" Lanongo said with a laugh. "Stuff you can talk about, things other people can't relate with, and that is a bond. That snowboarding bond is pretty cool."

Lanongo is in his second year with the program, starting from ground zero, and is now tackling steep blue runs like a pro. He was disappointed to hear the lone black run at Echo was not ready for guests yet, but was excited to tackle it on their next trip up, a testament to both his courage and the skills he's learned in the club. 

Lanongo said it's something the access to a club like Bison Blizzard is something he wishes everyone had. 

"Especially if you have never been snowboarding or skiing," Lanogo said. "Take the chance, man. Come out here and enjoy the snow. Whenever you can, if you get the opportunity to, sign up for it because it is a great experience and one you should not miss out on."

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