Bemidji Youth Advisory Commission

Helping the youth of Bemidji make their voices heard.

Maybe you’re in National Honor Society and need a few more individual hours. Or maybe you enjoy cheering people on and watching them achieve their goals. Or maybe you just want a race t-shirt without having to actually go through all the work of running/walking/skiing the race.

Whatever your reasons, a great way to experience the thrill of the starting line and the elated exhaustion of the finish line is to volunteer at a race. You’d be amazed at how many different races there are in the Bemidji area. Why, there’s one in February, two in March, two in April… But you catch my drift.

Volunteers usually show up an hour or so early, and-if you’re lucky and talk to the organizers ahead of time(which I highly suggest)- you may get a free t-shirt! After getting suited up, you may be set in charge of filling cups of water for the thirsty runners/walkers or skiers, or be put in charge of doing “Day-Of” registration, or handing out packets to preregistered athletes. You may be sent out to monitor the turn around point, if one exists, or your job may be simply to stand on the sidewalk or side of the trail and cheer as people go by. No matter what your duty, runners, walkers, and skiers alike will be very appreciative, especially if you are cheering on the sidelines. There are few things that make you run or walk or ski faster than someone cheering for you and telling you that, yes, you can!

Standard race distances are 5 kilometers (or Ks) and 10Ks for runners and walkers, with longer races being held for skiers, normal races being 25 to 50K.

The closest race is the Finlandia Ski Marathon on February 18th. Race distance include 10K, 25K, and (for people 18 years and up) a 50K. There are Classic, Skate and Pursuit races being held. If you are interested in volunteering, call 218-751-0041 or go to www.minnesotafinlandia.com

After that, we have the Snowjourn XC (Cross Country)  Race/Tour, with distances being 7K and 14K, just to mix it up. Call 800-777-7958 or go to www.bvskiarea.com for more information.

Or, if ski races don’t catch your eye, you could wait until March 17th and help out with the Shamrock Shuffle 5K Run/Walk. Call 218-333-1860.

The annual Sexual Assault Awareness  5K Run/Walk on April 14th is another great one to volunteer for, with lots of cool door prizes being raffled at the end. Plus, they have a history of really cool t-shirt, just a heads up from me to you. 800-708-2727 is the number to call, or email kellybsap@yahoo.com.

Or you could wait to welcome Spring with the Stride into Spring 5K and 10K on April 21st, 218-755-2883 or chougen@bemidjistate.edu.

There’s also the Bemdji 5K for a 3 Day 5K Run/Walk which raises money for Breast Cancer research, 218-556-7630 or go to www.my3dayfundraiser.org.

Or if you want to see some really tired athletes, help out at the Chippewa Triathlon on June 9th, a 49 mile canoe/run/bike guaranteed to test the endurance of every contestant. For more information, call 218-3352689 or go to www.chippewa-triathlon.com.

Remember, the sooner you get in contact with the race organizers, the more likely it is that you will get a t-shirt and that they will have enough work to keep you busy. If you wait until the day of the race, you may not get a t-shirt, or they may be so swamped with volunteers you end up bored. Let them know ahead of time, and get ready to have fun!

Who knows, you might be running or walking or skiing the next one…

If you, like me, are involved in a winter sport or just love getting outside in the snow, then needless to say you have felt that this winter has been less than stellar. Whether you alpine or Nordic ski, snowboard, snowmobile, or simply enjoy a good day of sledding, you have no doubt been frustrated by the lack of snow this winter, if you can even call it that. However, amidst the snow-less fields you may have had the genius idea to check out Buena Vista, out local ski area.

B.V has made very impressive endeavours to bring snow to us, and give us a chance to enjoy our favourite winter past times. Although they got off to a bit of a late start this season they have made up for it in their tireless efforts to give us the best possible winter experience given the circumstances. They have multiple runs open, and are working hard to keep them open by making snow, and grooming them often.

As you can imagine these extra efforts involve extra cost that the business was not planning on having to spend, but the good news is that the slopes are being utilized and B.V. is seeing some return for their investment, and efforts.

So whether you are a skier, snowboarder, or just a snow junkie Buena vista has many opportunities for you to get your winter fix! Maybe you are an old faithful customer, or perhaps you are just discovering the great opportunities at B.V. But now is as good a time as any to hit the slopes and enjoy a little winter wherever you can find it! Check out their great rates at bvskiarea.com and don’t wait a minute longer to let the fun begin! ~H.L.

Are you doing anything on January 21, 2012 from 11:00am-2:00pm? If not, why not come down to the water front for some freezing fun! Yep, the Polar Plunge is back. Registration is 11:00-1:00 and the jumps start at 1:00. The registration fee is $30 per person and all proceeds will go to the Bemidji Food Shelf and the Bemidji Soup Kitchen. Plus, the more you give the more you get! Depending on how much more then $30 you give, you could get a T-shirt, Long Sleeve T-shirt, a Sweatshirt, or all three. Plus there is also a 5K Polar run/walk, a sled derby, broomball, and more.

Have you ever wanted to, as they say, tread the boards? Well, here’s your chance! Bemidji Community Theater will be holding auditions for their spring show, The Magical Pied Piper, on January 18th and 19th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. No appointment necessary and no age limits, just show up with a short monologue or poem memorized and, since Piper is a musical, 16 bars of music prepared. Wondering why anyone would want to do theater? Well, for all you college bound high school students, it looks great on a college application, showing you not only have a wide range of interests, but also that you are involved in your community. Not to mention getting to meet lot of interesting people. Both the director Mary Knox-Johnson, and the music director Karen Bradley have years of experience, so you are guaranteed to have a good show. Never done theater before? No problem! Though theater experience is advisable, Mary knows that everybody has to start somewhere. Come out to the Paul Bunyan Playhouse and try something new, or add to your theater repertoire. Performance dates are April 11 through the 15th, with matinees planned.

It’s coming back! The third annual BYAC February Event is in the works, with the date set for February 17th. With two stages- one for hardcore music, one for acoustic- pizza for sale, gaming tournaments, and a basketball tournament, it is sure to be one great night! This event is for high schoolers only, so be sure to bring your student ID to get in. Anyone without a student ID will be turned away at the door. Expect more updates as more details are finalized!