Annual Corporate and Celebrity Charity Ski Event - Bansko 2006

On April 8 2006, an annual corporate and celebrity ski event is being organised for a second year in Bansko by John Hazlewood, CEO of Balkanwood Real Estate and Media and Event Productions and TravelStoreMaker.com, and Phillip Roth, CEO of Bulgarian Unified Film Organisation (BUFO) and Hollywood Tan and Hair. The event will support the efforts of Face to Face Bulgaria and the funds gathered from the ski race this year will go specifically to the First Chance Project. This event also aims to create awareness about Bulgaria’s bid to host the 2014 winter Olympics by encouraging the community to join the initiative and back the bid. Face to Face is an organisation focusing on the prevention of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The funds raised in this charitable event will benefit Bulgarian orphans. In order to protect these children and give them a chance for a decent life, Face to Face started First Chance - a project which gives life skills and knowledge to children in order to make them more competitive on the labour market and self-reliant in their future lives.

Alongside leading Bulgarian companies, many celebrity, media, and model teams will participate in the ski race. Through their participation in this charitable race, the companies will gain institutional advertising, will make a difference by partnering for a great cause, and will have an excellent opportunity for team-building and networking. The companies may choose to sponsor their own team, allowing employees, partners and customers to be on it.

An awards ceremony and a celebration dinner will take place at Happy End next to the Kempinski and the gondola. In addition to participation, the organisers would also accept in-kind sponsorships. The donation would be given to the winners or provided as an auction item during an auction at the awards ceremony. The sponsors would receive mentions during the announcement of their prize and be listed on flyers handed out during the event.

First place prizes include participation in a BUFO Hollywood feature film, a weekend getaway at the Kempinski Grand Arena Hotel Bansko and tickets to see Sting live in concert in Nessebar on June 12. Each team will comprise five racers of any age or skiing ability. There will be two classes of skiers, divided by age group for both men and women, as follows: level one: 15- 39 years of age; level two: 40 years and over. For individuals in each of these classes, the winners will be based on 1st, 2nd and 3rd fastest time for both women and men within the above-mentioned age groups. Awards provided for fastest male skier 15- 39 years old, fastest male skier 40 and over, fastest female skier 15-39 years old, fastest female skier 40 and over, and fastest snow boarder.