Local snowmobile club targets youth to enhance annual winter event

The River Runners snowmobile club in St. Stephen will hold its annual Vintage Show and Ride Saturday, Feb. 3, at Trobec’s Bar and Grill, but this year’s event will look much different. In addition to the traditional vintage show and ride, the club is adding a variety of youth and family activities.

The annual vintage show and ride was an original concept developed five years ago by Rodger Bellinger to bring the community together through showcasing vintage snowmobiles, accessories, and apparel, and recognizing their owners. While the event has been extremely successful, Michael Hornung, Chief Marketing Officer for the club, stated that “after last year’s event, our club members told us we were missing a key component. We didn’t have anything that kids, families or young people could participate in.” To address this need, several club members worked over the summer to add additional activities to this year’s event, focusing specifically on young people and families.

• The club partnered with Warnert Racing to create a Kid’s Demo Ride whereby children, supervised by club members, will be able to ride snowmobiles on a small, enclosed snow track from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Warnert Racing and Thene Racing, another event sponsor, are providing the club with their racing trailers, which will be used as warming shelters to prepare the kids for their ride, while Hilmerson Sports Center from Little Falls is providing helmets for this activity.

• Leaders of River Runners reached out to local snowmobile clubs to develop what the event organizers are calling the Marathon Ride, targeting avid snowmobile riders. This week-long ride, which begins on Saturday, Feb. 3, involves a circuit of 10 local snowmobile clubs, including the River Runners. Participants in this ride will collect stamps from each club stop and, based on the number of stamps collected, riders will be eligible for a variety of prizes provided by Centre PowerSports & Marine in Sauk Centre. In addition to involving passionate snowmobilers in the club’s event, this activity promotes the value and importance of local snowmobile clubs in developing and maintaining the snowmobile trail system.

• On the day of the event, North Risk Partners is sponsoring indoor kids’ activities at the St. Stephen Church Hall from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and Magnifi Financial is sponsoring a lunch, available from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Trobec’s.

Hornung noted that these activities are all available at no charge. He went on to say that the club has rebranded the event as Sno Days to not only acknowledge and appreciate the success of the vintage show and ride, but to recognize the broader scope of the event. “We, along with our event sponsors, including our presenting sponsor, Miller Buick GMC, are excited to deliver a premier community event showcasing the sport of snowmobiling. Come for the snow; stay for the show!”

About River Runners Inc.

River Runners Inc. snowmobile club is a non-profit 501(3)(C) organization established in 1969. It -benefits from a highly engaged membership of about 70 local snowmobile enthusiasts. River Runners maintains the snowmobile trails between Sartell, St. Joseph, St. Stephen and Holdingford and, in addition to the annual Sno Days winter event, it delivers yearly youth snowmobile driver training and participates in the Stearns County Adopt-A-Highway -program. Learn more about 2024 Sno Days at snodays.org, or follow the club on Facebook and Instagram at St. Stephen River Runners.