Club Sets Sights On New Groomer

The group that calls itself the largest cross country ski club in North America, is embarking on a large fundraiser.

The Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is looking to buy a new grooming machine, a Pisten Bully 400 Snowcat, costing $450,000.

The more than 2,000 member club is hoping to get the new groomer by next season, and is appealing for donations from members and the community at large.

“Traditionally, we have purchased used alpine area snow groomers that are halfway through their lifespan to fit our budgets,” says Campaign Chair Guy Morazain. “This strategy has led to higher maintenance costs and inefficiencies in our operations. A used groomer also has a limited lifespan and an unknown history.

“Moreover, there have been significant advancements to grooming technology. Having moved away from hydraulics to electronics, new groomers, such as the PB-400 are more efficient to operate, maintain and are substantially more environmentally friendly with reduced emissions and fuel consumption. Their lifespan is on average 10-12 years,” says Morazain.

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The campaign will run until the end of April 2019.

“Grooming 54 km’s of trails daily not only requires a great grooming team but also top-notch equipment. Wear and tear on our high mileage grooming equipment has reached the point where maintenance costs and downtime have impacted our ability to groom our trails to the standards that our members and guests expect,” says Morazain.

More than $57,000 has already been raised.

Go to their website for more details www.sovereignlake.com/clubsponsors-charitable-donations/pb400-snowcat/?platform=hootsuite