The annual The Great Ski Race^® is the main fund raising event for the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team (TNSAR), a non-profit all-volunteer organization based in the North Lake Tahoe/Truckee area since 1976.

The success of The Great Ski Race^® is evident in the numbers: race participation has gone from 60 racers being manually timed in 1977, to more than 600 racers with electronic timing in 1985, to 994 racers in 2003. Since 1983, racer registration has always surpassed 598, with the highest turnout of 1109 registered racers in 2005.

The Great Ski Race^® has grown to consistently be one of the largest Nordic ski races west of the Mississippi, with Nordic skiers competing along a spectacular 30km route from Tahoe City to Truckee. While the race is a test of strength and endurance, each year we continue to attract plenty of recreational Nordic skiers who return year after year simply for a fun day with some effective exercise through some amazing scenery. The entertainment not only includes the race, but also the post-race activities which include live music and hot food prepared at the finish line.

Each year the funds required to organize and present The Great Ski Race^® has grown; financial resources are required to cover such items as registration, T-shirts, bibs, prizes, activities and refreshments. Your support in sponsoring The Great Ski Race^® is greatly appreciated by the TNSAR team and the 1000+ racers that we anticipate participating each year in TGSR.

Please take a look at the demographics of the participants since the 2002 Races. This information should be useful to you in determining if your target market audience is amply represented in the race.

On-line race registration was added in 2002, along with other information available atwww.thegreatskirace.com; included in the web page are the race results. Here are a few of the website traffic statistics since the 2002 Races which show the increased web exposure and growth that the site is continually experiencing.

We fully expect the visibility of The Great Ski Race^® web page to continue to mature, offering an effective vehicle to provide Sponsorship identification for strong association with The Great Ski Race^® event (with T-shirts, paper registration, and the start and finish area being other options for Sponsorship identification).

The TNSAR Team

The Great Ski Race^®is organized entirely by TNSAR team members along with local community supporters. Race proceeds are used primarily to purchase equipment for the TNSAR Team (backpacks, stoves, tents, sleeping bags, maps, radios, avalanche transceivers, shovels, storm clothing, headlamps, medical kits, climbing skins, rock and ice climbing gear, sleds, snowshoes, food, etc.), and to support winter survival and avalanche education programs sponsored and conducted by the Team.

Each year the TNSAR Team presents The Winter Wilderness Survival Program to all the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee 4th grade students, designed exclusively by the TNSAR Team and given on school grounds. Additionally, in 2002 the TNSAR team released their first professionally prepared video “Winter Aware”, with participation from local professional skiers and boarders, intended specifically for high school kids to educate them on the importance of Winter safety and survival. The video has received extensive coverage in the school systems of the Tahoe Basin, the greater Reno area, and also the Bay Area, with extremely positive feedback. Free copies have been distributed to all High Schools in Northern California, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Washington, and Oregon to date.

The TNSAR team is well organized, highly motivated, completely non-profit, and all volunteer. After more than 30 years the goals remain the same: Conducting fast, safe rescues and educating the public on winter safety.

Conceived in 1976, the Team now boasts over 100 members who fulfill numerous functions, including:

• rescuing lost alpine and cross-country skiers
• locating downed aircraft
• rescuing stranded hikers and climbers
• educating the public about mountain safety
• other support functions

The Team has EMT’s, emergency room nurses, firefighters, professional ski patrollers, paramedics, and MD’s as active members. The level of medical, mountain, and skiing skills among the members is very high. To date, the TNSAR Team has located over 330 individuals; 60% of these have been patrons of a ski resort that have strayed from the area’s boundary into unfamiliar and rugged mountain terrain. The majority of these searches (and rescues) have historically occurred at night and during blizzards. The TNSAR Team has conducted searches originating from most all of the Lake Tahoe ski areas, with a 100% success rate for finding these lost recreationists.

The TNSAR Team works with a number of agencies, including Sheriff’s Departments of Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, Washoe, Douglas, and Toulumne Counties, WOOF and CARDA search dogs, OES, American Red Cross, Civil Air Patrol, Naval Air SAR, and the California Highway Patrol.

The TNSAR Team has full tax-exempt status and is incorporated in California. Donations may be tax-deductible; the teams non-profit tax ID is #94-2737988.

Cash Donation Levels and Descriptions

All race sponsors will receive the following basic benefits from their involvement with The Great Ski Race^®:

• Your company name and logo displayed on The Great Ski Race^® sponsors page. Peak and Summit sponsors will also appear on the home page.
• Your company name on the event flyer and poster (if submitted early)
• Your company brochure or promotional piece included in the bags given to each registrant
• Your company logo or name printed on the race T-shirts
• Your company listed (in order of contribution) in our post-event acknowledgement and thank you ad in the local newspaper
• Unrivaled exposure potential for the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Reno, and Bay area communities
• Potential exposure from video footage shown on local cable television and coverage on local sports news programs. A concerted effort will be made to entice regional television sports and local interest programs to cover the event.
• Contribution to a highly visible winter athletic event in the Lake Tahoe area
• Financial advantages for assisting a non-profit tax-exempt organization, the TNSAR Team

The following four levels of sponsorship participation are currently defined for The Great Ski Race^®:

PEAK SPONSORSHIP

$6,000 or at least a three-year commitment of $5,000 per year. Only one Peak sponsor will be accepted and will be considered the Title Sponsor of The Great Ski Race^®. In-kind products or services will be in addition to cash sponsorship.

In addition to the basic sponsor benefits specified above, the following will also apply to the Peak Sponsor:

• Your company named as the Title Sponsor of The Great Ski Race^® in advertisements and press releases in local and national publications
• Up to 6 Company banners to be prominently placed at the start and finish area
• Prominent tent placement at finish area/post race event
• All press releases will feature your company name associated with the event
• Your linked Company name and logo prominently positioned on The Great Ski Race^® website and race results page
• Company name and logo will be the largest, first-listed and distinguished from all other sponsors on The Great Ski Race^® T-shirts that each participant receives
• Company name and logo will be on the race bibs given to each registrant
• Company name and logo will exclusively be on The Great Ski Race^® hats

SUMMIT SPONSORSHIP

Donation options:

• $2,500 cash (up to$4,999); or
• $1,500 cash plus $2,000-$3,000 in-kind*; or
• $4,000 or more in-kind*

A maximum of five Summit Sponsors will be accepted. In addition to the basic sponsor benefits specified, the following will also apply to each Summit Sponsor

• Your linked Company name and logo prominently positioned on The Great Ski Race^® website
• Company name and logo will be distinguished in size and position from Alpine and Timberline Sponsors on The Great Ski Race^® T-shirts that each participant receives
• Company name and logo will be on all ads and press releases for The Great Ski Race^®
• Up to a total of 4 Company banners to be placed at the start and finish area
• Prominent tent placement at finish area/post race event

ALPINE SPONSORSHIP

Donation options:

• $1,500 cash (up to $2,499); or
• $750 cash plus $1,250-$1,750 in-kind*; or
• $500 cash plus $1,500-$2,000 in-kind*; or
• $2,500+ in-kind*

A maximum of eight Alpine Sponsorships will be accepted. In addition to the basic sponsor benefits specified, the following will also apply to each Alpine Sponsor:

• Your linked Company name and logo will appear on The Great Ski Race^® Sponsors page
• Company name and logo will be distinguished from all other sponsors except the Peak and Summit Sponsors on The Great Ski Race^® T-shirt that each participant receives
• A total of 2 Company banners to be placed at the start and finish area/post event

TIMBERLINE SPONSORSHIP

Donation options:

• $500 cash minimum (up to $1,499); or
• $250 cash plus $400-$1,200 in kind* (retail value); or
• $150 cash plus $600-$1,349 in kind* (retail value)

A maximum of twenty Timberline Sponsorships will be accepted. In addition to the basic sponsor benefits specified above, the following will also apply to the Timberline Sponsor:

• Your company name and logo displayed and linked on The Great Ski Race^® Sponsors page
• Your company name printed on the The Great Ski Race^® T-shirts that each participant receives
• A total of 1 Company banner to be placed at the finish and post-event party area

*In-kind Donations (in-kind donations are considered for their retail value)

In-kind sponsorship provides products, equipment, or services in lieu of cash; this would include prizes, food/beverage donations, and services. Donations of food and beverage products to give to the racers before, during, and after the race are always desired. Items in particular that we need include: cookies, soda water, non-alcoholic beverages, energy snacks, soup, bread, yogurt, and other healthy foods. In-kind donations that replace necessary merchandise or services that would normally be purchased for producing The Great Ski Race^® may be given additional sponsorship value.

Competitive and Division Prizes are awarded in the categories as shown below. If you have services or products which could be used as prizes for any of the following categories, please help us with your donation; 48 prizes in total are required.

• First Place Nordic Finishers, Male and Female
• Second Place Nordic Finishers, Male and Female
• Third Place Nordic Finishers, Male and Female
• 11 age classes for Nordic First, Second, and Third Place Finishers, Male and Female
• Single prize donations are also needed and are used for a prize drawing at the end of the race.

Should you have better sponsorship ideas, products, or services which can be of benefit to us in putting on the best possible The Great Ski Race^® event, please feel free to make offers and suggestions, as we are open to your input.

Sponsorship Deadlines

The negotiable deadlines for the sponsorships are as follows. These deadlines are required only so that it allows us sufficient time to plan and manage the race with sufficient fiscal satisfaction of the material race requirements.

• Peak Sponsor 17 January 2014
• Summit Sponsor 17 January 2014
• Alpine Sponsor 31 January 2014
• Timberline Sponsor 11 February 2014
• In-kind or cash donations 25 February 2014

The Great Ski Race^® is in its 38th year and has consistently been the largest cross-country ski event in the U.S., west of the Mississippi. It is produced entirely by volunteers from the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team and the local community. This event is a testament to the dedication of this non-profit group and is one of the high points on the Tahoe winter activities calendar and the annual Tahoe Snow Festival.

Thank you for your interest and consideration; we hope that this information will help you to decide to participate in The Great Ski Race^® as a sponsor. If you have further questions, or would like more information about The Great Ski Race^® or the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team, please contact us via email.