Ski for free, try a giant stunt airbag

LOOKOUT PASS - Three cans of food is good for an all-day lift ticket Friday at Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area when the Ski NW Rockies-KREM-Second Harvest Food Drive comes to the mountain.

Any three non-perishable food items will be accepted in exchange for a lift ticket.

The most needed food items include protein in the form of peanut butter, canned meat, soups, chili, stews, boxed dinners and beans. Other most needed foods include canned fruits and vegetables, canned or boxed juices, boxed mashed potatoes and dried fruit. Grains are also needed, such as pasta, rice, flour, baking and stuffing mixes and healthy cereals.

Second Harvest provides 1.7 million pounds of donated food each month to help feed hungry people. Food collected at Lookout Pass this Friday will directly benefit Real Life Ministries in Pinehurst, one of 250 emergency food pantries throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho in the Second Harvest network.

Shannon Kinney, Second Harvest special events manager,  said 37 percent of Second Harvest food clients are children and 13 percent are seniors. She said 57 percent of parents who turn to Second Harvest skip meals so their children can eat. Every dollar's worth of food donated equates to about six pounds of food, enough for four family meals.

Last year Second Harvest collected 2,000 pounds of food at Lookout, enough for about 333 meals.

Skiers and riders age 12 and up bringing food Friday can use the money they save to try a giant stunt airbag that will be set up under the biggest jump in Lookout's frontside terrain park through Sunday.

The special feature, manufactured by U.S. Airbag, is a 50- by 50-foot inflatable stunt cushion that is 10 feet tall. It reduces the risk of injury by partially deflating to absorb the force of a jumper's impact. Jump tickets will be $5 for 2 jumps; $10 for 5 jumps; or $25 for 15 jumps. U.S. Airbag staff will sell tickets directly at the jump site. Jumpers will also be required to sign a liability release (parent/guardian signatures are required for skiers and riders age 12-18).