There’s nothing like giving back to the community.

The Duluth Marshall holiday ski camp not only benefit 70 first time skiers, ranging from kindergarten to 7th graders, but the Hilltoppers that were giving their time back.

“Everything’s on the Marshall campus. We’re skiing, having snacks, doing some crafts, and it’s all to fund our team camp at the end of next week in Cable, wisconsin on the Birkie trails,” said Bianca Jukic, one of the instructors.

For those that had been skiing a handful of times before, the event was a refresher for them. But for some others, it was their first time, offering a degree of difficulty.

“I fell a lot of times at this one slippery spot,” said Luke, a 12-year-old who attended the camp.

“We’ve got some skiers who are just learning how to do it for their first time, who have definitely met the snow a few more times than the others and have gotten familiar,” said Jukic. “But everybody, even when they’re falling going down the hills is having a blast.”

Cross country skiers from Duluth Marshall obviously had to start from somewhere, and events like this were exactly where some of them did. Giving back to the community is paramount for the Hilltoppers, because these are the next generations of skiers for Duluth Marshall.

“You can start at this age,” said Jukic. “It’s a lifelong sport that they can do from when they’re five or six, learning how to ski at this camp to when they’re in their seventies. Then it also helps when you want to be a high school skier, knowing how to do it. It’s one of those great sports that anybody can do, anyone can try. You don’t have to know how to do it. You just kind of get thrown on some skis and you figure it out, but it always works out.”

Eventually, the amateurs became the pros, giving their own advice.

“Definitely don’t go too fast and like, don’t get too cocky, don’t try something you’re not ready for,” advised 6th grader Evie Fitzpatrick.