Eastlink Day at Eastlink Park

 

 

 

It was a celebration for Eastlink on January 21 atop the hill at Eastlink Park overlooking the valley as community members came together for a fun day for families to enjoy while celebrating Eastlink for all the support it has given the project.

Julie Benoit, Sales and Marketing for Eastlink Western, has been working for Eastlink for five years and enjoys getting to be part of such great events.  “As a company that works with communities, it’s honestly one of the most exciting things about working for Eastlink. We are always looking to build our product and are always investing in infrastructure so it’s wonderful when you can turn around and give that back to the people who are supporting us. We’ve always been really socially focused on giving back and that’s probably one of the best things, for me, about working for this organization,” adding that “Whitecourt has been sensational for us.”

Eastlink Day was focused on being a fun family event for the community to enjoy which included some free swag, “When we came in we thought it would be really cool to give away some prizes,” said Julie. From 12 noon to 3 p.m., event goers enjoyed a free hot dog barbecue, a roaring bonfire, free face painting, indoor activities, and many received a free, stylishly purple, Eastlink toque.

For the first two years that Eastlink Park is open, every new customer that signs up for Eastlink services will equal a bonus of $150 towards the park, which is on top of the original contribution put forward by Eastlink that is spread out over 15 years. Talk about a bonus! On Saturday, Julie, along with several Eastlink staff, handed over a big check for $21,150 thanks entirely to 141 local signups to Eastlink services in the last 12 months.  “Today, the big thing for us is really thanking the customers who have come on board because this extra donation is solely because they came on board with us. It’s really a big thank you and understanding that it’s because of them that we can do stuff like this.”

Eastlink will be offering the same amazing incentive for one more year and Julie says she is really hoping to “see that number climb for next years’ presentation. The $21,150 given today is for the first year; next year, hopefully, we will be doing a cheque presentation for twice the amount we are doing this year.”

Craig Erickson, Chairman of the Winter Recreation Committee, says the support from Eastlink has been huge, “They made a 15-year commitment to the hill and are the title sponsor so we would really like to acknowledge them for everything they have done for us and will continue to do. As a non-profit organization that is strictly run by board members, we really appreciate all the extra help we get from committees and our wonderful sponsors like Eastlink.”

Town of Whitecourt Councillor Paul Chauvet was on hand and spoke fondly about those who volunteer so much time, calling them the lifeblood that brought the whole project together. “Time is a precious commodity that we never get back and you guys chose to spend it here. That speaks volumes.  You can make money, you can spend money, but the time’s always gone, it’s spent. And, they choose to spend it here and make the community better.”

Chauvet touched on his own personal experiences of representing Whitecourt at provincial and federal meetings and talking with other councillors, “When we start talking about what we have in our community of around 11,000 people and other municipalities with 100,000 people can’t believe what we have here; it makes us feel very proud.”

Woodlands Mayor Jim Rennie also spoke about the winter park and remarked on how it’s attracting people to the community to take part in healthy living, as a family. “I know from the County’s perceptive, from Councillor Govenlock, Councillor Merrifield, and myself, we are happy to see kids using this place and getting healthier by doing outdoor activities.  We see this as a great partnership with the town where everyone is working together. Thank you so much to the volunteer groups, Eastlink, sponsors, and the community. Great job, everyone!”

 

Not only have residents of Whitecourt made this donation happen by signing up with Eastlink but the hill board is turning around and giving it right back to the community by dropping the cost of full day ski rentals from $25 to only $8. “This donation from Eastlink and the support of our other sponsors is the reason we are able to make skiing more affordable and more accessible. The $8 includes skis, boots, and poles, the whole thing.” said Merv Hilland, board treasurer, “It’s pretty amazing. We just want to get people up skiing and try it out. These little kids, on their little skis as they walk up towards the hill, nothing warms my heart more than seeing people make it a family thing.”

There are 40 staff employed at the hill which includes about 10 high school students. “When you see a young kid from high school teaching a little kid how to ski, it’s just a wonderful thing,” said Merv. “We have a full gamut of teachers, high school and adult, who can teach people how to ski and when they can rent their skis for only $8, wow!”

With warmer temperatures in the forecast lately and snow disappearing around town, Merv says folks need not worry about Eastlink Park running out of snow. “The hill faces north and we don’t get the sunshine directly on the hill. Our snow isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. We made a lot of it and we have a big base. We are ready to rock!”