With the snow just starting to stick, it was a great time for the Castlegar Snowmobile Association to hold their annual fundraiser/membership drive. The event took place Friday at the Castlegar Complex and featured a swap meet, door prizes, food and drinks, and a silent auction. In addition, two large screens played several different popular snowmobiling videos.
"This is our fundraiser and membership drive," said Amy Enns, fundraising director for the Castlegar Snowmobile Association. "We've been doing it for at least five years since I've been involved. It's basically the first day that your memberships are available. So it encourages our members to come and sign up."
The club had 168 members last year and are expected to have similar numbers this year. Enns says that members are already out hitting the trails.
"We usually start early December and go until May or June," she said. "We ride between 6,500 and 7,500 feet. Snowmobiling is the fastest growing sport in the world and has been since the early 90's. It's huge."
The money raised at events such as the fundraiser/membership drive help the club in many different ways.
"It goes towards grooming our trails; promoting avalanche and safety awareness; and improving our cabin and infrastructure on the mountain," said Enns.