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From: "April Mulherin" <April.Mulherin@maine.edu>Date: October 11, 2007 4:01:34 PM EDTTo: <april.mulherin@maine.edu>Subject: [staff list] UMF Receives Libra Grant to Help Develop Alpine Ski TeamReply-To: "April Mulherin" <April.Mulherin@maine.edu>UMF Media Release for Immediate Release#R078-009CONTACT:UMF Assistant Director of Media Relations April Mulherin207-778-7081*** University of Maine at Farmington Receives Libra Grant to Help DevelopAlpine Ski Team ***FARMINGTON, MAINE (October 11, 2007)- University of Maine at FarmingtonDirector of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation Julie Davis is pleased toannounce that the university has received a grant from the Libra Foundationto help support the development of an Alpine ski team.The Libra Foundation is a Maine-based organization that has made significantcontributions to worthy initiatives throughout the state.UMF has enjoyed a successful student-led ski club in the past, which wassupported by student senate and the ski industries program and volunteercoach Harry Ricker. "The Libra grant, combined with funds from UMF'sStudent Senate, will allow us to launch the expansion from a student-ledclub sport to a more competitive ski team with increased infrastructure andadditional support for coaching," said Davis. "The program will beaccessible to all levels of skiers and will allow us to recruit studentathletes from New England and beyond."The ski team is currently undergoing dry-land training in anticipation ofthe upcoming season, which is scheduled to begin in December. The team willcompete in both Alpine and Nordic disciplines in the United StatesCollegiate Ski and Snowboard Association's Reynolds Division. The divisionwas established in 2006 by Ricker and named in honor of Tom Reynolds, UMFAthletics Hall of Fame inductee. Other institutions in the division includeUniversity of Maine at Orono, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Universityof Maine at Presque Isle, and the Bates College "B" team.According to Ron Bonnevie, UMF Ski Industries instructor, the ReynoldsDivision utilizes mountains in western Maine thereby reducing travel andproviding opportunities for other colleges to have access to the region."UMF's access to local ski areas is hard to beat. We have a great slalomhill 5 minutes from campus (Titcomb Mtn.) for day and night training, withSugarloaf, Saddleback, Black Mountain and Sunday River all less than anhour's drive," said Bonnevie. "It's about as good as it gets throughoutnorthern New England. These options provide UMF skiers with more quality onsnow training and flexible training times to coordinate with classschedules."Not only will the ski team have lifelong benefits for its student athletes,but it is expected to have positive impacts on the western Maine mountainregion as well. The importance of the economic vitality of the region wasrecognized by UMF in its final Libra grant proposal, which highlighted theuniversity's existing strong partnerships with the area's ski mountains andoutlined future opportunities to strengthen those relationships.The benefits of the ski team are too long to list according to LeighBreidenbach, director of the UMF Ski Industries program. "We are a snowsports ski state and this Libra grant says we value those activities andconsider it part of our heritage as Mainers," said Breidenbach. "At UMF,skiing is a passion as much as it is a sport. After graduation, the vastmajority of our skiers stay in Maine. They are lifelong skiers, guaranteed."# # #For more information, contact UMF Director of Athletics, Fitness andRecreation Julie Davis at 207-778-7264 or jadavis@maine.edu.===================================================================Thank you for sharing the good news at UMF, Maine's public liberal artscollege.Regards,April MulherinApril MulherinAssistant Director of Media RelationsUniversity of Maine at Farmington207-778-7081
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