Lend a Hand - Volunteer

One of the best ways to get connected with Ontario snowmobiling is to volunteer for your local OFSC snowmobile club for a few hours. It worked for me. My time as a club volunteer gave me a deeper appreciation of the snowy miracle that is winter and enriched my sledding memories.

More than that, my volunteering makes me feel like I’m part of something much bigger and more important than just going for a casual ride. I’m proud of our trails and proud of what our clubs have accomplished during the past 40 or so years — and I’m proud that my own small contribution has helped. This takes my sledding experience to a whole new level. It feels good to belong!

Like me, most snowmobilers eagerly anticipate the opening of groomed trails and can hardly wait to get started. Personal experience proved to me that a great way to really wet my appetite in the fall is to spend a few hours helping my club get ready. There’s nothing like pitching in with other avid snowmobilers for a few hours of fun, camaraderie and accomplishment. I found that sharing memories of great snowmobiling moments and talking about plans for the upcoming season gave my anticipation keener edge. I even benefited from new ideas and tips about where to go and what to see. Volunteering is a pleasure your entire family can share. It’s also ideal for a husband and wife team looking for a shared interest. Or for high schoolers looking for a unique way to fulfil their 40 hours of community service commitment.

In addition to making new friends and finding new riding companions, the hours I invested in volunteering were also an amazing eye-opener. During my first work party, I was astounded that this rugged terrain would soon be a groomed snowmobile trail. If you’ve never seen what a trail looks like before the snow falls, that discovery alone is worth the investment of a few hours helping out. Besides, it was great to be outdoors, while getting some exercise.

Being behind-the-scenes to help make snowmobiling successful is like being on a movie set. Sure, you can pay your money and sit in a theatre, passively watching the final cut. Or you can be part of the creative process. I’m the kind of person who likes to learn as much as possible about my interests and passions, so witnessing first hand some of the activities that help achieve the final result made snowmobiling more real.

Check out the volunteering video below.

Maybe trail preparation isn’t your cup of tea. That’s no problem, because there are web sites to be updated, newsletters to be produced, permits to be distributed, groomers to be maintained and social events to be organized. Someone even has to organize the other volunteers! So whatever you enjoy doing, you will make a difference.

Frankly, I was surprised at the personal satisfaction I felt from lending a hand. It gave me a strong sense of accomplishment about improving something I love. As I gave myself a pat on the back, I realized that I was feeling pretty good about helping to preserve snowmobiling. Now my family and friends have an even better opportunity to get outdoors each winter on a snowmobile — and I’ve done my bit to keep the fun happening for years to come!

Contributing partners for this Ontario snowmobiling site include: Intrepid Snowmobiler, Murphy Insurance, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Ontario Tourism, Snow Goer Media, Supertrax Media.

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