By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
MONROE TOWNSHIP— Snowboarder Ty Schnorrbusch is one of six Winter Action Sports Ambassadors leading a new pledge program for the High Fives Foundation to help injured mountain action sports athletes.
Since 2009, High Fives Foundation Executive Director Roy Tuscany has been giving presentations to young skiers and snowboarders across the country, spreading awareness and inspiration for mountain action sports athletes who have suffered life-altering injuries. The High Fives Foundation gives grant funding towards their recoveries.
After his presentations, students were “stoked” to take home stickers and swag in support of the cause. However, inevitably, aspiring competitive skiers and snowboarders asked, “Can High Fives sponsor me?”
The clear answer has always been no.
“We’ve had to tell a lot of kids, you don’t want to be a High Fives athlete,” said Mr. Tuscany. “That would require sustaining a major injury.”
However, in 2014, 12-year-old Griffin MacFadyen, of Dover, Vermont, presented a different approach to the whole “sponsor me” scheme. Griffin, who is a decorated competitive snowboarder on the national level, took the voluntary initiative to begin reaching out to his family, friends, coaches and schools asking for pledges for the High Fives Foundation if he placed well in each snowboarding competition.
“Griff’s Pledge,” as it came to be known, took off, as did Griffin’s success in competition, all the while representing the foundation logo on his boards and helmets. In 2014, Griffin raised $2,161 for the High Fives Foundation by himself.
The inventive reverse-sponsorship platform caught the eye of his friends and family, then local and national media outlets like Transworld Business. Soon it piqued the interest of the same athletes Griffin was competing against and other competitive winter action sports athletes from other disciplines.
The High Fives Foundation worked with Griffin in the off-season to develop a replication of the program for competitive skiers and snowboarders across the country. “Griff’s Pledge” suddenly became formally known as the Winter Action Sports Ambassador Program — allowing skiers and snowboarders to leverage their hard work and achievement to bring positivity into the world of winter action sports. This is the first program of its kind from the High Fives Foundation.
Throughout the 2015 winter season, six committed skiers and snowboarders began their pledge process just like Griffin did the year before. Each individual ambassador was given a profile page on the High Fives Foundation website displaying photos, videos and sponsors. Pledges were listed in recognition for their support.
Monroe Township resident Ty Schnorrbusch was among the ambassadors.
“Ty was an amazing part of the program, and one of the only girls,” Luka Starmer of the High Fives Foundation, said. “She’s rad and her parents are super supportive.”
Ty is 13 years old and attends Monroe Township Middle School.
“I have been snowboarding since the age of 4,” Ty said. “I enjoy snowboarding because of the freedom of the sport. There are so many different things to do such as slope-style, boarder cross, half-pipe and freestyle. Every time I’m on a board it’s a new adventure and I learn something new every time.”
She became a Winter Sports Ambassador for the High Fives Foundation when her friend Griffin told her about the program.
“He asked me if I would like to be an ambassador and I said yes right away,” she said.
She raised money this winter by asking family and friends to make a donation every time she made podium at a snowboard competition.
“Over this pass winter I raised $2,400 for the High Fives Foundation,” Ty said. “Next winter I plan on being a Winter Sports Ambassador again and raise more money. My goal is to raise as much money as possible for High Fives Foundation so they can support the dreams of mountain action athletes by raising injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life altering injuries.”
In all, the program has raised $12,333 for the High Fives Foundation from 92 individual donors.
“We piloted this ambassador program with no idea of how successful it would be,” said High Fives Foundation Social Media Manger Becca Lefanowicz. “We were all blown away by how well these kids did in competition and how that translated into donations for High Fives athletes.”
To learn more about the program and to view each athletes’ pledge page, visit www.highfivesfoundation.org/winter-sports-ambassador-program.
“If anyone would like to donate money now or next winter season they can go to the following link — https://highfivesfoundation.org/ty-schnorrbusch/ or contact me at [email protected],” Ty said.
Ty makes honor roll every marking period and her goal is maintaining honor roll all year.
“My achievements in snowboarding include making it to nationals in Colorado the past four years,” she said. “My goals for snowboarding are to continue to be a good role model for the sport, make it to the X Games and one day the Olympics.”
She said she would like to thank Luka Stramer from the High Fives Foundation for giving her the opportunity to give back to athletes by doing the sport that she loves.
“I would also like to thank my coach, Tommy Anderson; my sponsors, Monument Snowboards, Smith Optic, ROAR Sports Drink and my family for supporting and helping me to achieve my goals in snowboarding,” she said.
For more information about the High Fives Foundation, visit www.highfivesfoundation.org.
