Best of Buddies have "snow" much fun in Turtle Mtns.

On St. Patrick's Day, 29 members of the Best of Buddies (BOB) group at East Central headed to the Turtle Mountains for a day of fun. This was the first official in-person outing of the group since the pandemic began.

Transitional Coordinator Vickie Becvar said that among the youth were two individuals from New Rockford, 19 from Carrington, and four each from Fessenden and Pingree. For some, it was the first BOB event they attended. Nine staff members accompanied the students.

They set out for Bottineau Wednesday morning, in a bus provided by the Carrington School District, as well as a handicapped-accessible van. After a stop at Dairy Queen in Rugby for lunch, they got back on the bus to finish their trek.

As they traveled north, the students (and adults alike) noticed the lack of snow on the ground. However, as they neared their destination, they saw hints of the winter white stuff in the hills near Bottineau Winter Park. A welcome sign indeed.

Upon arrival at Annie's House, the students learned that their primary activity for the day would be tubing, as the skis and snowboards had all been packed up when the park was closed to the public two weeks prior. The snow was adequate on the tubing hill, though, and the students linked up their tubes for an afternoon of fun. A few students opted to play cards inside the visitor center.

On the way home, the Buddies enjoyed a buffet supper at their favorite local hangout, Pizza Ranch in Harvey.

The Annie's House Adaptive Recreation Program at Bottineau Winter Park is managed in partnership with the Anne Carlsen Center. The facility is named after Anne Nicole Nelson, a Stanley, N.D. native who died on Sept. 11, 2001, in Tower One of the World Trade Center, where she was working on the 104th floor. Activities are available year-round at Annie's House for students five years of age and older, with one or more physical or cognitive disabilities. The staff at Annie's House match instructors with appropriate, adaptive equipment to meet their individual needs. They also have a specific program to serve military veterans with a 10% disability or greater. Activities include ice fishing, skiing, tubing and snowboarding in winter, and canoeing, paddle boats, hiking, fishing, biking and horseback riding in the spring, summer and fall. For more information about programming or volunteering call 701-263-4556.

A generous $1,000 donation from the New Rockford Eagles Club helped make the event possible, Becvar said, as well as provided enough funds for a trip to Sky Zone trampoline park in Bismarck. That event is expected to take place before the school year closes in May.