SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Driftriders’ Snowball event is expanding this year in hopes to increase membership and raise more funds to support the Club’s grooming program as well as raise funds for their new groomer shed.
The event will be held at the Paws Up Outpost Building Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature special guest Levi LaVallee, Winter X Games gold medalist and Red Bull Rider.
While the event has traditionally been held at the Seeley Lake Community Hall, last year the Snowball filled the Hall to capacity.
“We could not find a place in Seeley that would handle us this time of the year,” said Driftriders President Bill Swain. “The only way to expand was at a new location.”
Swain further explained that the Driftrider’s goal is to draw people to Seeley Lake during the winter to help support the local economy.
“You have to have money to do these things. The Snowball is our biggest moneymaker,” said Swain. “We are trying all kinds of new stuff and trying to draw more people in and support the club. It is unfortunate we had to go out of town but we were limited to the size of event we could have in town.”
One of the new big projects the Driftriders is working towards is raising funds to build a new grooming shed on the south end of Seeley Lake. The lease on the current grooming shed across from Pyramid Mountain Lumber Company, Inc. on Boy Scout Road ends in two years.
While they are still working on securing a location, Swain said they are already working on plans for the new building. It will be built large enough to house two groomers and include a bathroom and an office facility. The club is hoping to host club events in the facility like a pancake breakfast and scavenger hunt ride.
“We feel that we could draw folks in, make fun events up and promote the sport,” said Swain.
The Driftriders currently have two groomers – one that is owned by the State and the other the Club owns. They are looking at the possibility of obtaining a third state-owned groomer. This would allow them to expand the trails network.
This is the first year the Driftriders are offering a discounted ticket price for the Snowball to club members - $50 for club members and $80 for non-members. Since a family membership is $35, this was an effort to try and expand the membership.
“The larger membership we have, the more participation we have with people,” said Swain. “Plus it helps us with the grant writing process to get money to run the program. It would be impossible to run without the grant money.”
The ticket price includes a charter bus ride from Seeley Lake or Missoula to Paws Up Resort. Paws Up Resort will be catering the meal. LaVallee will be in attendance the entire night.
Silent and live auction as well as raffles will go on throughout the night. Auction and raffle items include Henry Arms, BCA, Klim, 509 Polaris, the opportunity to ride with LaVallee at Sunday’s Fun Run and a three-day weekend to Nascar in Las Vegas plus many more items.
They will also be selling raffle tickets ahead of the Snowball for two snowmobiles, a 2020 Khaos 850 and a youth’s 2019 custom Built Polaris EVO 144. Ticket holders need not be present at the Snowball to win. Nine names will be drawn throughout the night for the snowmobiles and a spot at the top 10 will be auctioned off at the event.
Sunday morning, Jan. 19 will be the annual Fun Run. Hands can be purchased at the West Side Trailhead parking lot from 9 - 11 a.m. There will be Cash Prizes for men’s and women’s high and low hands plus prizes from 509 and Klim.
For more information and to purchase Snowball tickets and Driftriders memberships visit https://www.driftriders.org/.
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