8906_MSA_November2024_Newsletter

MSA gives away vintage sled at this year’s Annual Snowmobile Show By John Monk

T his season’s annual show featured a bit different event at the entrance of the vintage show. Cou pled with the largest and best vintage show to date, members of the MSA angled a donation fundraiser to bolster the MSA Safety committee’s pot to help get some sort of program off the ground for more education for beginning snowmobilers. While the outcome of what that will develop in the future remains to be seen, this event surely showcased our members support for the concept. Here’s how it all started.

In 2018, the MSA received a call from Ken Swazey, a former MSA member stating he had some health issues and was no longer able to ride snowmobile. He stated he had an older model Ski Doo and would like to see it go to someone who could use it. The sled was picked up at his home and later found out to be Ski-Doo’s entry model into the touring market. This 1990 Ski Doo Safari GLX was the full load including liquid cooling, reverse, two up, electric, heated bars and full gauges. Additionally, it was in extremely good shape and even included the cover. It actually had sat in his barn from 2003 to 2018 without being touched. In last year’s rather snow starved season, the sled finally got a giant cleaning, with all the usual aged items replaced such as the primer, runners, bearings and severely deteriorated fuel lines and battery. The sled fired right up and surely would get someone on the snow. What to do next? After a discussion with the President Mark Chinnock, VP Matt Sted man, and daily operations manager Al Swett, approval was granted to accept donations to the safety fund in exchange for a ticket in a bucket for chance of winning the sled at the close of the show. The excitement began to build. All through the weekend, show attendees stopped by, chatted and healthily supported the idea both in concept and financially. With a group of about twenty people around, President Mark and VP Matt pulled the ticket of 2016 Snowmobiler of the Year, Tom Nelson who walked through with his wife, daughter and future son-in-law on Saturday night. A GIANTTHANKYOU is cast to all who contributed and $2,050.00 was raised and will be dedicated to a safety related project in the near future. This concept garnered strong approval from show attendees and hopefully more of this nature will be considered in the MSA’s future.

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