Jan’s Winter Welcome tickets on sale now by Youth Sports Alliance

Isaiah Jewett, of the USA, and Nijel Amos, right, of Botswana, shake hands and cross the finish line together after falling together and helping each other up in the 800-meter semifinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, in Tokyo. Photo: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

PARK CITY, Utah. — Iconic images like the one above personifying sportsmanship only happen with foundational fun, family, and friends moments experienced through sports organizations like Park City’s Youth Sports Alliance (YSA).

Two days remain in the summer Olympic Games, two months remain until winter Olympic test events begin, and two decades have passed since YSA’s inspired inception.

The grade-schoolers in Tokyo may not possess world-class athletic prowess today, however, if they’re saavy, a similar grass-roots entity the likes of Park City’s much modeled after, YSA will be part of their Olympic Legacy making them the compassionate competitors of tomorrow. That’s what was created in Park City directly following the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Games and yesterday’s grade-schoolers of Park City are today’s podium placers.

Jan’s Winter Welcome is back.

Purchase tickets here before they sell out to join in on the festivities on Saturday, October 23, from 6 pm to midnight at the Stein Eriksen Lodge.

“The Youth Sports Alliance has seen first hand how the support and encouragement from this event leads to athletes finding their lifelong passion and pursuing it all the way to the Olympic Games,” said Emily S. Fisher, Executive Director, Youth Sports Alliance

Jans Winter Welcome (JWW) is the premier fundraising event supporting youth winter sports programs in Park City.  More than 420 prominent members of the local community, the snow sports industry, and friends from across the country attend raising more than $475,000 to support teams and fund need-based scholarships for junior athletes.

Park City athletes have won ten Olympic medals since the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games. YSA notes them as the following:

1. Gold, Ted Ligety, Torino 2006, Alpine Combined, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team USA
2. Gold, Steve Holcomb, Vancouver 2010, 4-Person Bobsleigh, Park City Ski Team/G-Force, Team USA
3. Silver, Brett Camerota, Vancouver 2010, Nordic Combined, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team USA
4. Bronze, Bryon Wilson, Vancouver 2010, Moguls, Wasatch Freestyle, Team USA
5. Gold, Ted Ligety, Sochi 2014, Alpine Giant Slalom, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team USA
6. Gold, Joss Christiansen, Sochi, 2014, Freeskiing Slopestyle, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team USA
7. Silver, Steve Holcomb, Sochi 2014, 4-Person Bobsleigh, Park City Ski and Snowboard/G-Force, Team USA
8. Silver, Steve Holcomb, Sochi 2014, 2-Person Bobsleigh, Park City Ski and Snowboard/G-Force, Team USA
9. Gold, Sage Kotsenburg, Sochi 2014, Snowboard Slopestyle, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team USA
10. Bronze, Izzy Atkinson, PyeongChang 2018, Freeski Slopestyle, Park City Ski and Snowboard, Team Great Britain

‘Park City Nation’ is an Olympic-related term coined which translates to the statistic that in choice winter Olympic Games, if Park City was a sovereign nation, it would rank up to fifth in the country medal count. That’s accredited, in large part, to the year-round work that the nonprofit YSA is dedicated to doing for the community of Park City.

With cocktails, dinner, dancing, a fiercely but quietly competitive silent auction, and a fast-paced, bragging-right’s-on-the-line live auction, black-tie attire is always optional. Having said that, year after year, JWW proves to be Park City’s favorite reason to dress up, way up. This may the one night each year that active athletes are allowed to stay up past their bedtimes to volunteer.

Along with highly sought-after state-wide, nationwide, and local items and experiences in the silent auction, the live auction items have been known to be awe-inspiring. Winners of this year’s grand prize are heading to the great wide open. The top prize includes a stay at the luxurious Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort. This 10,500-acre luxury dude ranch is a secluded jewel tucked into the San Ynez Valley combining the spirit of the Old West and charms of today’s most relaxing resorts. 

YSA is still taking donations for said auctions.

“After a long year and forced cancellation of last year’s event, we couldn’t be more excited to gather again in person to support athletes of the past, present, and future. We are hard at work on this, our 41 st JWW,” said Jana Dalton, Youth Sports Alliance, Development Director