A time honored tradition, and an important part of Snowfest, is the Snowfest Queen competition. The girls, mostly local high school students, compete via an interview, an essay and most importantly the sale of Snowfest Raffle Tickets. They do so to win college scholarships and support the local organizations they represent. Half of the proceeds from Raffle tickets go to support the non-profit organization that puts on Snowfest, and the other half goes to the non-profit organizations which do so much to make our community special.
This year, I’m supporting North Tahoe High School student Kaya Williams. Like my daughter Hannah when she ran 5 years ago, Kaya is supporting the Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association. This organization supports: Strider-Gliders, the after school cross-country ski program that serves over 200 kids; The Winter Discovery Center, which provides environmental education to students; Free Skiing for Schools, which gives over 1000 children a year the chance to try nordic skiing; the Tahoe XC Devo and Comp Team; and funding to help the North Tahoe Middle and High School Nordic racing teams.
Kaya says, “The Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association has been a part of my life since I was very little and just scooting around in Strider Gliders. As a result, I feel that it is important that I give back to the organization that has played such a role in my life and that has made me a true “nordork”! Additionally, this year I joined the TXC Comp team, which is funded by TCCSEA. The amount of improvement I have made in this year alone regarding competitive skiing is absolutely phenomenal, and it has allowed me to really push myself when it comes to skiing.”
Tickets can be purchased at New and Used Tahoe Sports in the Cobblestone, as well as the Tahoe XC Center, or by calling Kaya at (530) 448-4820.