Kids in Maine and New Hampshire have a long winter season ahead of them, and will need fun ways to get outside and stay active. WinterKids is dedicated to making fun, outdoor activity accessible to all families, and we created the WinterKids App to help do just that!
We wanted to learn more about the impact the WinterKids Winter Games made this season, so we reached out to our top three winning schools, Prescott Memorial, Jonesport Elementary, and Dr. Levesque Elementary to share their experiences. Here’s what they had to say…
The WinterKids Winter Games 2020 got 32 Maine schools (2 in every county in Maine), including 7,332 kids and 1087 teachers and support staff to take their classrooms outside this winter, learning, playing, and taking advantage of the magic that is Winter in Maine! Here’s a play by play rundown of what happened during this year’s Winter Games!
The WinterKids Downhill 24 has become one of our most anticipated events of the year, not just because of the fun we have, but also because of the important role it plays in raising funds for WinterKids programs. Learn how it grew to be our biggest fundraiser, and what’s new for 2020!
The WinterKids Winter Games 2020 has officially begun! Follow along, as two elementary schools in each of Maine’s 16 counties will go for the gold by competing in a four-week outdoor physical activity and nutrition challenge during the month of January for cash prizes, equipment and more!⠀Many thanks to the staff and students at Waterboro Elementary School for hosting our press conference as part of their opening ceremonies!
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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WINTER GAMES
On January 6, students and staff at 32 elementary schools around the state will participate in WinterKids’ third annual WinterKids Winter Games. This outdoor physical activity and nutrition competition encourages young children to develop healthy habits over the course of the four-week program. Each school will try to earn as many points as possible for the grand prize: $5,000 donated to their school. In total 7,332 students and 1,113 teachers and staff from every county in Maine (2 schools per county) will be participating in the Winter Games.
With humble beginnings, the WinterKids Welcome to Winter Festival is a celebration of winter in Maine that has now grown into an event for thousands of families in and around Portland Maine to enjoy annually, completely free of charge. Here’s a brief history and a sneak peek at what’s to come this year!
Toolkits have been delivered to our 32 participating Winter Games Schools, and now the count down is officially on to January 6th for the kickoff of the WinterKids Winter Games, when 2 Schools from every county in Maine will compete for $20K in cash and prizes!
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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WINTER GAMES
Tom & Sarah Long, making a special run to deliver toolkits to Waterboro Elementary!Andover Elementary (Oxford County)
Principal, Karen Thurston and students are ready to go for the gold!Waterboro Elementary School (York County)Waterboro Elementary School (York County)
Samantha Person and Tom Long.Greenville Consolidated School (Piscataquis County)
WinterKids Executive Director, Julie Mulkern and Jen Caiazzo, school nurse.Glenburn Elementary School (Penobscot County)Edna Libby School, Standish (Cumberland County).Beech Hill School in Otis (Hancock County)Ames Elementary School, Searsmont (Waldo County)Ash Point Community School in Owl’s Head (Knox County)
Ben Tripp (Principal) and Mrs. Watkinson (Kindergarten Teacher) and students are ready to go for the gold!Carrabec Community School (Somerset County)
Candy Lebeau (Secretary), Missy Miller (Ed Tech) and Heidi Day (Health & PE) are ready to go for the gold!Madison Elementary School (Somerset County)
Administrative Assistants, Danyel Clark and Angie Arbour are ready to go for the gold!Greenville Consolidated School (Piscataquis County)
These 1st grade students are ready to go for the gold!Harrison Elementary (Cumberland County)
Bailey Reichert (Teacher & Coach) and students are ready to go for the gold!Jonesport Elementary School (Washington County)
Marni Crowley (Teacher), Melissa Moore-Tenney (Principal) and Lisa Graham (Admin Assistant) are ready to go for the gold!Bay Ridge Elementary in Cutler (Washington County)
Roberta Lichtenger (3rd & 4th Grade Teacher), Darlene Wheeler (Principal) and students are ready to go for the gold!Glenburn Elementary School (Penobscot County)
PE teachers Heidi Thayer and Jaret Lizzotte and 6th grade students are ready to go for the gold!Leroy H Smith School in Winterport (Waldo County)
Dawn Moore (Principal) and students are ready to go for the gold!Beech Hill School in Otis (Hancock County)
Liz Flood (Principal) and the pre-K class are ready to go for the gold!Vassalboro Community School (Kennebec County)
Mary Ann Fortin (School Nurse) is ready to go for the gold!Spruce Mountain Elementary, Jay (Franklin County)
Pat St. Clair (Principal), Amanda Hinkley (3rd Grade Teacher), Michelle Leclaire (4th Grade Teacher) and Samantha Bellerose (5th Grade Teacher) are ready to go for the gold!Dirigo Elementary, Peru (Oxford County)
Physical Education Teacher, Gretchen Curtis and students are ready to go for the gold!Bristol Consolidated School in Pemaquid (Lincoln County)
Kandi Kinney (6th Grade Teacher), Jen Eckel (Ed Tech) and Kristen Travers (Social Worker) are ready to go for the gold!Brownville Elementary School (Piscataquis County)
Principal, Carol Smith and student are ready to go for the gold!Prescott Memorial School in Washington (Knox County)
Nancy Stover (Principal) and 3rd Grade students are ready to go for the gold!Rangeley Lakes Regional School (Franklin County)
Lindsey Savage (School Nurse), Danielle Ellis (PE Teacher), Georgia Campbell (Principal) and students are ready to go for the gold!Waterboro Elementary School (York County)
Samantha Person (PE Teacher, seen here with WinterKids volunteer, Tom Long) is ready to go for the gold!Whitefield Elementary School (Lincoln County)
Jamie Simpson (PE Teacher) and the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) are ready to go for the gold!Ames Elementary School, Searsmont (Waldo County)
L. Briana Brennick (2nd Grade Teacher) and R. Lori Smail (Principal) are ready to go for the gold!West Bath School (Sagadahoc County)
Emily Thompson (Principal), Laura Houghton (Physical Ed Teacher), Allison Cosgrove (Counselor) and students are ready to go for the gold!Sabattus Primary School (Androscoggin County)
Jan Lavalee (Pre-K Teacher) and students are ready to go for the gold!Fort Kent Elementary (Aroostook County)
Robby Nadeau (Principal), Melissa Jean (1st Grade Teacher) and 1st Graders are ready to go for the gold!Fisher Mitchell School, Bath (Sagadahoc County).
Ross Berkouwitz (Principal) and Ricki Waltz (School Nurse) are ready to go for the gold!Fairview Elementary, Auburn (Androscoggin County).
Celeste Beaudet (Principal), Stephanie Marris (Assistant Principal) and students are ready to go for the gold!Edna Libby Elementary School, Standish (Cumberland Co.)
Principal Vacchiano, Jessi Woodman (Nurse) and the Pre-K class are ready to go for the gold!HB Emery Jr. Memorial Elementary School, Limington (York Co.)
Charlotte Regan (Principal ) & students are ready to go for the gold!Katahdin Elementary School in Stacyville, ME (Penobscot Co.)
Marie Robinson (Superintendent/Principal) and Jaide Berry (Guidance Counselor) are ready to go for the gold!Dr Levesque Elementary School, Frenchville (Aroostook County).
Physical Ed teacher, Scott Pelletier, School Nurse, Stephanie Nadeau and students are ready to go for the gold!Edna Libby School, Standish (Cumberland County).
Principal Vacchiano, Nurse Jessi Woodman and the PreK class are ready to go for the gold!
Our 8th annual WinterKids License to Chill is on the books, and we smashed our fundraising goal of $30K by raising a whopping $37,914!
Here are just a few photos, courtesy of Whitney J. Fox Photography. Be sure to bookmark this & check back, as there are even more to come!
Fiscal Year 2019
WinterKids helps children develop healthy lifelong habits through education and fun outdoor winter activity
Your support helps to…
.ugb-9b05fe5 .ugb-feature-grid__item{border-radius:0px !important}.ugb-9b05fe5 .ugb-img{width:72px;height:auto !important}.ugb-9b05fe5.ugb-feature-grid .ugb-feature-grid__title{font-size:30px !important}Make a statewide impactWith programs in all 16 counties of Maine, we will reach 29,000 kids this year with innovative, outdoor initiatives for families, schools, and communities.Make winter more accessibleFrom our popular Welcome to Winter festival to ski swaps to WinterKids Family Days at Maine Mountains, we offer something for people of all ages to experience the joy and health benefits of winter.Increase physical activityIn 9 years of the WinterKids Challenge in Maine elementary and preschools, over 26,797 kids & 3,194 teachers have increased their outdoor physical activity by 2.4 million minutes.
.ugb-3485d35 .ugb-feature-grid__item{border-radius:0px !important}.ugb-3485d35 .ugb-img{width:163px;height:auto !important}.ugb-3485d35.ugb-feature-grid .ugb-feature-grid__title{font-size:30px !important}Enhance a connection to Maine’s rich winter heritageOur new mobile WinterKids app connects children of all ages to more winter activities than ever before across Maine and New Hampshire with 100 participating winter sports areas.Foster community collaborationThe WinterKids Winter Games enlists 32 schools to participate in an annual 4-week series of outdoor physical activity, nutrition, family engagement and winter carnival challenges.
2018-2019 Statement of Activities
.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-feature__item{border-radius:0px !important}.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-img{width:598px;height:auto !important}.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-button{background-color:#d5346f;border-radius:1px !important}.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-button .ugb-button–inner,.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:1px !important}.ugb-71a45a1 .ugb-inner-block{text-align:left}Donate Today to get (and keep) kids active, healthy, & vibrant in the outdoors.When you make a tax-deductible donation to the WinterKids Fund, you are supporting effective, evidence-based solutions to reducing childhood obesity and the loss of connection to the natural environment. Your contribution is much more than charity: it’s an investment in the future of our children and our outdoor heritage.DONATE TODAY
.ugb-7586caf .ugb-feature__item{border-radius:0px !important}.ugb-7586caf .ugb-img{width:598px;height:auto !important}.ugb-7586caf .ugb-button{background-color:#d5346f;border-radius:1px !important}.ugb-7586caf .ugb-button .ugb-button–inner,.ugb-7586caf .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-7586caf .ugb-button:before{border-radius:1px !important}.ugb-7586caf .ugb-inner-block{text-align:left}Join the fun!Volunteer to help us keep kids active, healthy and vibrant in the outdoors. Over 100 volunteers contributed 1,200 hours this past year. your time is an excellent investment in the future of our children.LEARN MORE & VOLUNTEER TODAY
Because of you…More kids are on snow in backyards, on playgrounds, and at mountains. More families are finding the joy in outdoor winter activity and healthy behaviors. More communities are nurturing the next generation of active, outdoor citizens. WinterKids is vibrant, healthy and growing – much like the kids we serve. Because of you.
