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Ziplining company harnessing funds for charity
Guests who go ziplining at Fairmont Hot Springs on Friday, June 1 will not only get to ride at a discounted price; they’ll also be supporting an important local non-profit organization at the same time.
Brothers Jay and Todd Manton, co-owners of Mineral Mountain Ziplines, will be hosting the company’s inaugural Community Day event, which will see 100% of the day’s profits donated to Columbia Valley Search and Rescue.
If the fundraiser goes as well as it did for the Manton’s sister company—Kokanee Mountain Zipline in Nelson—this should be a solid success. It hosts a similar event that has raised upwards of $5,000 in the past.
“It’s all based on how many people show up,” said Jay Manton, noting that the guides also support the event by donating their time. “If an organization is really involved in it, they’ll get all their friends out and make it a big day.”
To entice visitors, Mineral Mountain will be offering 50 per cent off the standard rates, which sit at $89 for adults and $79 for children 14 and under. Given that this year’s Community Day falls on a professional development day for the local school district, Manton is confident there’ll be a big draw.
“It’s towards the end of the school year, which is going longer than normal this year,” said Jay. “This would be a good chance for parents to reward them with a fun day out with the family.”
As avid outdoorsmen, both Jay and Todd appreciate the courageous work done by Columbia Valley Search and Rescue. This organization is comprised of volunteers, whose varied skill sets assist in a range of emergency response capabilities, including grounds search, swift-water rescue, rope rescue, and mountain rescue.
“I work alongside them in the winter when I work on ski patrol at Whitewater (Ski Resort, in Nelson),” says Jay. “Also, we work closely with them in the Columbia Valley to understand our access and egress points of our ziplines in case we ever had an emergency and needed assistance in evacuating. They would be the assistance group responding due to our remoteness.”
Columbia Valley Search and Rescue themselves enjoy time on and recommend the ziplines at Mineral Mountain. That’s because it’s regarded as a safe activity that requires minimal skill or physical ability.
“Each tour is led by two experienced guides, one in the front and one in the back,” said Jay, adding that each of the course’s six ziplines and platforms are professionally engineered to the highest safety standards. “Their job is to make guests feel comfortable and safe throughout.”
A typical ziplining tour at Mineral Mountain takes about two hours, depending on the size of the group. Guests ease into the course with a short 135-foot line that’s just 20 feet off the ground. After that, they increase in length and height as they crisscross back and forth across Fairmont Creek. The tour culminates in a thrilling 1,500-foot long, 200-foot high line to the finish.
The number of spots for Community Day is limited, and tickets are available on a first come, first served basis, so Jay encourages would-be riders to book soon by calling 1-844-888-6695.
Above photo: Mineral Mountain Ziplines is hosting its first Community Day event, donating 100% of the profits to the Columbia Valley Search and Rescue. Photo submitted
Submitted
