What is the WinterKids Downhill 24?
Photo courtesy of Samuel Trafton / Maine Drone Imaging (@MaineDroneImaging)
The WinterKids Downhill 24 is the ONLY 24-hour ski and snowboard challenge in Maine, and the premiere winter fundraiser in the state.
It is also the one and only time you can ski under the lights at night at Sugarloaf! YES – our friends at Pike Industries and United Rentals ship up the lights exclusively for WinterKids each year.
This highly anticipated event has become THE winter experience to participate in for Mainers and ski/snowboard enthusiasts throughout the Northeast. Not only does it push your endurance capabilities throughout the festivities, but it also raises critical funds and awareness for the only nonprofit in Maine and New Hampshire dedicated exclusively to increasing outdoor physical activity in children and families during our longest, most sedentary season.
For our 10th Anniversary, we added new elements and celebrated in a big way!
In honor of our 10-year event anniversary, we have a record-breaking goal to reach $1 Million for WinterKids Programs. We have big plans for the funds! CLICK HERE to learn all about the Downhill 24 Outdoor Fund, and all the ways your support impacts children in Maine and beyond.
To celebrate, we will welcome more participants to the Downhill 24 by offering two tracks for participation – DAY TIME ONLY or 24-HOURS – CLICK HERE for details and more information.
Participants on 24-Hour teams can opt into a new, exciting element of the Downhill 24—a skin-up/hike challenge. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to skin/hike to the top of the Double Runner lift and ski down, once an hour. You’ll earn DOUBLE the points for each trek you make per hour – a great way to ensure your team stays at the front of the pack. CLICK HERE for more details and for an overview of how to accrue points.
When the event wraps up at 9 a.m. on Saturday, go shower, rest, and get ready to celebrate. On Saturday evening, WinterKids will host a concert celebration in the King Pine Room at 7:30 p.m. The fun begins with Elec Simon & Friends (you might remember them from the prize ceremony a few years back!), followed by the big reveal of our total, and we will cap off the evening with Maine favorite, The Mallett Brothers Band!
How to Participate in the WinterKids Downhill 24
In 2022, we will have two tracks for participation:
24-Hour Track
- ❉ Corporate Team Cost: $4,500
- ❉ Individual Team Cost: $75 registration PLUS $500 fundraising minimum 18+ yrs (total $575), OR $250 for 17 and under (total $325).
- ❉ Team members can participate in all 24 hours of event. If even only 1 team member wants to participate for 24-hours, you must purchase a 24-hour team.
- ❉ Teams can compete for the King of the Mountain Cup or Kid’s Cup (17 and under)
- ❉ Team members get timing chips
- ❉ Can compete in Obstacle Course and Race Arena for prizing and King of the Mountain/Kids’ Cup
- ❉ Can participate in Skin Up Challenge
- ❉ Dinner Friday night & breakfast sandwich voucher for Saturday morning
- ❉ Discount to Saturday night concert (or earned as a fundraising incentive)
- ❉ Housing not provided
- ❉ Spots held for team until Feb 11, please register ASAP
Day Only Team
- ❉ Corporate Team Cost: $3,500
- ❉ Individual Team Cost: $50 registration PLUS $350 fundraising minimum 18+ yrs (total $400), OR $50 registration PLUS $200 for 17 and under (total $250).
- ❉ All team members can participate during regular mountain operating hours ONLY (8:00am – last chair)
- ❉ Teams will compete for “most team members on most lifts” ONLY
- ❉ No timing chips
- ❉ Can compete in Race Arena for prizing
- ❉ Can NOT participate in Skin Up Challenge
- ❉ No food provided
- ❉ Discount to Saturday night concert (or earned as a fundraising incentive)
- ❉ Housing not provided
- ❉ Spots held for team until Feb 11, please register ASAP
Please register your team members as early as possible. To guarantee your team spots (up to 12), you must sign up all team members by February 11, 2022.
All open registrations are released to the general public on February 12, 2022.
This event has sold out for the past two years. Please be sure to register your team members early!
Still have questions? Send an email to Downhill24@winterkids.org.
We have a number of sponsorship opportunities available. Please fill out the form below to learn more about what is available and how you can get involved!
EVENT SCHEDULE
Details subject to change.
5:30pm – 8:30pm Pre-Registration in the King Pine Room
Drink tickets available Orono Brewing Co. beer, small snacks/appetizers
7:30 am
Registration open for all in the King Pine Room
8:30 am
Opening Ceremonies on The Beach
Costume Parade – wear your costumes to the opening ceremonies to get your picture taken to be sent to the judges at Capozza Floor Covering Center.
9:00 am
Competition Begins at the Super Quad
Skin Up Begins at the bottom of the Narrow Gauge Trail
10:30 am – 2:30 pm
RACE ARENA OPEN
Check the schedule for designated team times in the Race Arena
Noon – 1 pm
Elec Simon & Friends Bucket Drum Circle, King Pine Room
1 pm – 5 pm
Caricature artist Melita Lewis from Your Caricature on-site for custom pictures
3:30 pm
Last Chair for Day Only Participants
Check-in for Inflatable Tournament Begins
4 pm – 5 pm
Obstacle Course Tournament presented by AAA Northern New England
3:45 pm
Last Chair for Day Only Participants
Grooming on Mountain
5:00 pm
Lifts open up again for 24-Hour Teams
BIBS must be on – visible by security or you will not be allowed on the lift
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Dinner available for 24-Hour Teams in King Pine Room
10 pm
Mid-Mountain Party at Jean Luce Building, presented by Pape Subaru
10 pm – 5 am
Dance party, fire-pit, hot coffee, and snacks including donuts from Eighty8 Donuts!
8:30 am
Final lap & countdown
Breakfast sandwiches provided by WipFli available for 24-Hour participants on beach
9 am
Event concludes, awards ceremony for 18 and under fundraising prizes, Kids’ Cup winners, and final fundraising total revealed.
2 pm – 4 pm
24-hour gifts handed out at table in Narrow Gauge Room
6 pm – 7:30 pm
VIP Cocktail Reception & Fundraising Awards
7:30 pm – Midnight
Concert Celebration in King Pine Room (CLICK HERE FOR INFO & TICKETS)
EVENT SPONSORS
Presented by:
Platinum Prize Sponsor
& Founding Partner
Skin-Up Sponsor:
Saturday Night Celebration Sponsor:
Mid-Mountain Party Sponsor:
Black Diamond Sponsors:
Breakfast Sponsor:
Coffee Partner:
Dinner Sponsor:
Official Beer Partner:
Pre-Registration Party Sponsor:
Registration Sponsor:
Trivia Sponsor:
Beach Party Sponsor:
Lift Sponsors:
Costume Contest Sponsor:
Race Arena Sponsor:
Obstacle Course Tournament Sponsor:
Podcast Sponsor:
AV/Entertainment Support:
Videography Support:
Medical Support Provided By:
Blue Square Sponsors:
Green Circle Sponsors:
FAQS
Please CLICK HERE to learn the details between the two tracks
You must sign up for a 24-Hour team in order to be on the mountain past 4pm. 24-Hour teams will have a specific BIB color and security will not allow you to get on a lift after the first grooming if you aren’t wearing that color.
Please CLICK HERE to print out the Check Donation Form and mail it with the check to WinterKids. Please don’t send any checks without explanation to WinterKids – we won’t know who to credit the check to and you’ll miss out on having it as part of your fundraising total.
We do not provide housing. You can book a hotel room or condo online at Sugarloaf.com or check out AirBnB or VRBO.
24-Hour teams will get a spaghetti dinner Friday night and breakfast sandwich on Saturday morning. Day-only participants will get their own lunch during the day Friday. The VIP reception Saturday night will have heavy passed appetizers.
Tickets to the Saturday night concert with Elec Simon and The Mallett Brothers Band can be purchased in advance through Sugarloaf. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets now.
If you raise $5,000 or more, you will have a free ticket to the Saturday night concert as part of your fundraising incentives.
No, you must register for yourself. You will have to show ID to pick up your packet that will have your specific BIB number and number for a timing chip. You also much sign for your timing chip as it is your responsibility to keep track of it and return it at the end of the event.
We’ll have a pre-registration party on Thursday, March 3 in the King Pine Room from 5:30pm – 8:00pm. Registration will be open in the King Pine Room on Friday, March 4 at 7:30am.
24-Hour Teams:
- $500 for 18+ ($575 with registration)
- $300 for 17 and under ($375 with registration)
Day-Only Teams:
- 18+ is $400 total ($50 registration and $350 fundraising requirement)
- 17 and Under is $250 total ($50 registration and $200 requirement)
CLICK HERE for all the details.
Fundraising minimums must be met by 5pm ET Friday, March 4
Friday, March 4, 2022 at NOON
$75 for 24-Hour team, $50 for a day-only team. CLICK HERE for all the details.
A lift ticket will be provided for Friday, March 4 for those who need one. Please be sure you mark that you need a lift ticket when you register for the event, this will tell us to get one for you.
We do not provide rental gear for the Downhill24 event, you will have to secure those on your own. To learn more about gear rentals at Sugarloaf please visit the Sugarloaf gear rental site here: https://www.sugarloaf.com/rentals/ski-and-snowboard-rentals