FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bradford VT, March 3, 2021
World Cup Supply, Inc. (WCS) is pleased to announce the first recipient of a Berlack/Astle Award for 2021 is Gray Flanagan of West Burke, VT. Gray is currently a PG student at GMVS and graduated from BMA in 2020. Gray joins the 10 previous award winners who all possess the skiing talent and positive personal attributes that both Ronnie and Bryce embodied.
Previous to this year the Berlack/Astle Award was given to one male and one female U16 athlete based on completed applications and recommendations. For 2021, the structure of the Award and the selection process has been changed in a way we that believe will have a more significant impact for the recipients both now and in the future.
WCS will set aside $5,000 annually for the Berlack/Astle Award Fund. The Fund awards grants as needed and available to athletes from either the Eastern or Western/Inter-Mountain Regions who are recommended to us by US Ski and Snowboard staff from those two regions. The athletes recommended for the grants will have been invited to a US Ski and Snowboard Ski Team camp or NDG Project and need financial assistance to attend the camp or project. We are confident this approach will have the direct impact we are looking for by helping talented athletes participate in growth opportunities they otherwise would not be able to attend.
Gray Flanagan was recommended to us by Eastern Region staff as a promising alpine athlete who had an opportunity to travel to Europe this spring for an US Ski and Snowboard NDG Competition Project lasting several weeks. The $2,000 award will allow Gray to attend the Project by directly funding expenses related to the trip. During the project Gray will be racing against European talent in 4 different countries with a small group of US Ski Team athletes and 3 coaches. Among the group of coaches is Rich Smith, Eastern Region Coach who commented: “It’s always exciting to watch Gray race. He is a fearless competitor in search of speed and charges the fall line. Hard work, grit, and integrity are just a few of the many positive traits Gray possess. He will be an outstanding role model for future recipients of this prestigious award.”
WCS reached Gray to inform him of the news just a few days prior to leaving for the Project: “I am honored to be receiving the Ronnie Berlack/Bryce Astle Award for 2021 and look forward to representing them in my upcoming races”.
Brad Williams of WCS added “we are thrilled to be able to help talented athletes like Gray who are deep into the US Ski Team program, to have access to the types of travel, training and racing they need as they work so hard to get to the next level. Like all of our previous award recipients, we’ll be watching Gray closely and wishing nothing but the best for him both on and off the hill.”
www.berlackastleaward.com
World Cup Supply, Inc has been a partner of ski racing for 30 years and the sport of skiing for 30 years. For more info please contact: bwilliams@worldcupsupply.com