ALPINE ODYSSEY FILM TOUR WRAP UP & BIG RAFFLE
Well the winter tour of my Alpine Odyssey film is done - 12 locations across 4 States/Territories in pubs, halls, breweries, cinemas and backcountry huts. The tour, was a lot of fun and, to date, has raised over $25,000 for Save the Children and Protect Our Winters. This figure has come from ticket sales as well as the various door raffles/auctions held at each screening.
The online Big Raffle, with $7000 worth of amazing prizes, is still running and tickets are available ($5 each or $20 for 5) until midnight on 29th September. The raffle will be drawn on 30th September. Check out details and buy tickets here. Let's get that fundraising total over and beyond the $30,000!
As the screenings travelled around, Winter 2024 came and then went far too suddenly, thanks to a crazily warm August and despite our praying for snow at all the screenings. For those of us passionate about snow and snow sports it hurt, and for the resorts and alpine communities it has been a difficult time. For sure the climate is changing, an aspect the film and the screenings highlighted. We will get big winters again for sure, that will put a smile on everyone's face, but the reality is we need to push governments, businesses and importantly ourselves to take action to reduce our impacts. If you get chance, do check out the work Protect Our Winters is doing.
I'm already looking forward to a big snowy, cold winter in 2025, both here in Oz and, for personal reasons, across the Tasman. Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa/NZ is happening - skiing at all 24 Kiwi snow resorts and linking them up by ski and mountain bike! It will be a 3000km journey across some 80-90 days. Look out for details on this, including the fundraising, on www.huwkingston.com, Facebook and Instagram early in the new year.
The Alpine Odyssey film will continue screening in various places this year and into 2025 in Australia and overseas, including at a number of film festivals. Plans are also afoot to offer school Outdoor Ed/Environment students an educational package including the film and building on some of its messages.
Keep a lookout too for a short film about the backcountry hut screenings!
A massive thanks again to all our prize suppliers for the tour - The North Face, Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa, TFE Hotels, Bright Brewery, Nemo Equipment, Osprey Packs, Le Bent, Smartwool, Paddy Pallin, Falls Creek Resort, Traverse Alpine Group, Tathra Hotel, Tumut Brewery, Alex Hotchin Artist, Lonely Planet, Optimus, Nalgene, Paul Reader Snowsports, Banjo Paterson Inn and Capital Brewing.
A big personal thanks too of course to all the volunteers who helped with the screenings and all who came to a screening, bought raffle tickets or succeeded in the auctions!
Cheers,
Huw
Praying for snow at the Jindabyne Alpine Odyssey screening.
