I often hear the same question “What is there to do in the middle of winter, when the snow covers the ground, and there is a chill in the air?” Well, this past Saturday, February 13, I had the privilege to be a volunteer for the North American VASA Race held annually in Traverse City, Michigan. This year would be the mark of the 34^th race held. Linda Deneen, who is one of the board members for the race, allowed me to follow her for the day and help out at the local event. Linda is a retired Licensed Professional Counselor from Traverse City’s Central High School and enjoys spending much of her time helping out and organizing local community events like the VASA. She has also been a participant in the race for many years, and this year decided to, instead, root on all her friends in the event. Linda organized a wonderful program this fall called, “SheSkis”, which is a cross-country skiing program that encourages women of all ages to get out and enjoy the activity. Another program she put together is “WeSki”, an instructional family ski program. Even some of the women who were new to skiing this year and joined her weekly program on Wednesday’s, “SheSki’s”, decided to sign up for the VASA and further challenge themselves.

The first race to start was the 27K Classic, which kicked off at 8:30 in the morning, and you can bet that many people surrounded the start area to cheer on their loved ones. As soon as the clock started, the racers were on the trail and soon disappeared into the snow covered woods. There were all together seven different race start times, and different levels of races for all. The second start time was at 9:00am, which was the 50K Freestyle race. This was the longest race in the event and would take a lot of determination and endurance to complete. At 9:15am the Adaptive Skiers race started and at 12:30pm the Freestyle/Classic kicked off, which was 1-3K, and open to kids of all ages. The great thing about the VASA is that it really does a wonderful job of welcoming all ages and all levels. I saw small children on their skis trucking along, teenagers from many of the surrounding schools in the area, middle aged individuals, and many seniors participated as well. It seems that cross-country skiing is very universal. I think I saw through the event that this is a great way to get out in our long winter season, get fresh air, enjoy time with friends and family, and also burn some calories while you’re at it.

The half way point for some of the race was “The Rock” location on the trail, so Linda and I drove out into the woods to go there and continue to cheer on the racers. There were also volunteers out there who had a tent sent up, and were supplying the skiers with water as they passed by. I saw many new – and neat – ideas. One was a volunteer in the tented area grilling bananas to give to the racers as a warm treat and boost of energy that they may need to finish. We walked on up the trail a little ways from the tent, and Linda made sure to supply me with a cowbell and with our bells in hand we stood with her friends out at “The Rock” and cheered on the racers to keep pushing!

The VASA event was truly inspiring and is wonderful for all to partake in whether it be racing, volunteering, or cheering on the racers. When I was standing out in the woods at “The Rock”, I realized this race wasn’t just about getting a workout in or physically challenging a person, but also about giving one the opportunity to experience the ultimate beauty that there really is here on the trails in Northern Michigan in the winter. Only out on the trail can one witness the fresh snow and the glow that the white pines give off throughout the forest. What more could you ask for? The next time that someone asks me the question of what is there to do in Northern Michigan in the winter, I think I may have found the answer for them!

That’s my Gramps and I love him. He will do anything for anyone in need if he can. However, he took Father’s words to the extreme this time. Father noted that oftentimes during Lent, people give up things. Sometimes struggling with their decision and not always successful. What he explained was that Lent is not necessarily a time to give things up but instead a time to give of one’s self. Of course, Gramps thought he was giving of himself by taking the burden from others of eating dessert…a sigh and a smile…

Why give up anything? Volunteer your time instead! "Volunteers Welcome" photo provided by naturemoms.com

There are many ways you can give of yourself. Here is a list of places for volunteer information:

• www.1-800-Volunteer.org including:
• The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities. Through a variety of programs and services, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life—businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth, and older adults—to volunteer.
• www.mentoring.org - Youth Mentoring
• www.mentor.org - Mentoring at-risk youth
• www.bbbsa.org - Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• www.bgca.org - Boys and Girls Club of America
• www.ysa.org - Youth Service America provides volunteer opportunities for young people ages 5-25
• www.redcross.org - American Red Cross
• www.habitat.org - Habitat for Humanity
• www.kab.org - Keep America Beautiful – Beautifying America by focusing on litter prevention, beautification and community improvement, and waste reduction.
• www.takepride.gov - Take Pride in America – Helping preserve our nation’s landmarks.
• www.nature.org - The Nature Conservancy
• www.wish.org - The Make-A-WishFoundation
• www.specialolympics.org - Special Olympics
• www.toysfortots.org
• www.ala.org - American Library Association
• www.homeaid.org - HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today’s homeless. Founded in 1989, the organization has built housing for more than 60,000 men, women and children.

Your local community education center may have community projects you can join and be a part of. You can volunteer at a school, hospital or nursing home. Help out at your local food bank or soup kitchen. Students can do volunteer work through their universities on Spring Break. If you would like to take it to a larger level check out Americorps (http://www.americorps.gov/) or the Peace Corps (http://www.peacecorps.gov/).

So instead of thinking what you will give up this year, think of what you can give this year. Imagine the impact you could make in 40 days…