MUSKEGON, MI – A new partnership between local nonprofits is giving Muskegon children the chance to experience snowboarding, skiing, and ice skating for free.
Taking Back Muskegon, a nonprofit dedicated to providing educational and recreational programs for students in the Muskegon Public Schools’ Impact Program, has teamed up with the Chill Foundation. The foundation offers free “board sport” programming to children of all backgrounds.
Through this partnership, students will be able to participate in winter sports every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. The program kicks off on Thursday, January 16. Participants will gather at the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore, located at 550 West Grand Avenue in downtown Muskegon, where they will be bused to Cannonsburg Ski Area in Belmont.
All necessary equipment for snowboarding, skiing, and ice skating will be provided, along with a meal. The program offers 15 spots for students to sign up.
Michelle Tyson, founder and CEO of Taking Back Muskegon, highlighted that many students in the program have not had the opportunity to try winter sports. “I like to expose them to new things,” Tyson said. “They spend so much time trying to grow up fast, they forget what it’s like to just be a kid.”
Tyson hopes to expand this initiative in the future, working with the Chill Foundation to offer board sports year-round. The foundation also introduces children to skateboarding, surfing, and paddleboarding. Tyson noted that many of the children involved come from families who cannot afford such activities, making this program especially valuable.
“We want to grow this program every year, adding new opportunities as they come,” Tyson said.
In addition to winter sports, Taking Back Muskegon has partnered with other organizations to provide more activities for local children. These include fishing trips at Adelaide Pointe, sailing lessons at the Muskegon Yacht Club, and a four-day camping trip – all at no cost to participants.
Tyson emphasized that these activities align with the nonprofit’s curriculum, which focuses on government, civics, health, and nature. “These kids might not know how fun and addictive these activities can be until they try them,” she said.
Looking ahead, Tyson is also planning the organization’s first-ever youth awards banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of the students in the program.
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