HISTORY AND LEGACY

We are the Ely Nordic Wolves. We speak for all teammates past, present and future. This team is a legacy. The positive impacts are tangible, numerous, and they radiate outwards. The team has cemented friendships for life. Coaches and volunteers are joined by passion and purpose. Community members and outsiders alike are inspired by the team’s values, culture, friendliness, and accomplishments. 

The Nordic Wolves are proud of repeatedly going to state, of all-state skiers, of individual state champions, and of state championships. These successes make skiers into teammates, and athletes into lifelong contributors to a lifetime sport. This team is a source of positivity and growth that some students would not otherwise access. 

CURRENT FUNDING

To maintain a legacy, this high-quality program needs financial sustainability. Skiing is expensive, and the Nordic Wolves both include and benefits from athletes of all economic backgrounds. We provide skis, boots, poles, uniforms, jackets, warm boots and more for our skiers. This is a long tradition. We all take pride in making skiing possible, in leveling the playing field, and in promoting striving athletes and the tangible growth of their character for any student in grades 6-12.

We are underdogs. Many high school teams are bigger than the Ely High School! We travel for all but one race. Coaches invest in technical equipment, knowledge and best practice, ideally to get ahead, but realistically just to keep up with the competition. Similarly, a lot of dedicated families work hard—not to get ahead but to keep up. Only partially funded by our district, the team relies heavily on fundraising efforts to maintain itself year after year. With increased expenses currently and projected costs rising even more, the situation is difficult. Additionally, we’ve also raised the bar. We are far beyond the beginnings of this team and now into sustaining a very credible program with high standards internally and when compared to the high school ski community. We cannot easily rise to the same high standard in the future. 

FUTURE FUNDING GOALS

We imagine a future where the Ely Nordic Wolves have a sustaining and stable financial foundation. The goal is to secure operational funding so that our skiers aren’t limited by an artificially low ceiling. We would have the bussing, ski wax, wax room, test skis, rollerskis, training equipment, and uniforms our athletes need to compete, learn, strive, and excel. The team would forever be the best positive place to connect and to grow passionate athletes and to develop confident teams. 

The training plan looks like this: 

• Financial strength leads to an enduring and positive program for Ely youth.
• Young athletes succeed at all levels, cementing relationships, skills, and wellness for life.
• The local community benefits, and we send our skiers into the world.

FUNDING STRATEGY

Celebrate our first 25 years by strengthening the general funds and preparing for the next 25 years. We want to continue the legacy by meeting current needs and proactively addressing future ones. The Ely Nordic Wolves currently needs new uniforms, a test fleet of skis, a generator, a wax room, ski equipment updates, and a cushion to help manage transportation, our single largest expense. From a proud 25 to the next 25, our Overall Goal: $25,000

Suggested Funding Levels

Level 1: $50, buys a seat on a bus to get to a ski meet.

Level 2: $!00, buys a replacement ski binding as we transition to entirely NNN fleet of rental skis

Level 3: $250, buys a new uniform to last a decade

Level 4: $500, buys a complete waxing station in a team wax room

Level 5: $1000, buys a pair of skate and classic skis for wax testing.

Level 6: Beyond, helps the team stabilize into the future with transportation and other unexpected changes.