By Devin Wilger
N-R Writer
The Canadian Counsil of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) has recognized one of Yorkton鈥檚 own. Rick Bilous was awarded the CCSO Excellence Award for Outstanding Snowmobiler.
While he is the recipient of the award, Bilous says that it鈥檚 really about the entire Sno-Riders club that deserves credit. He says that to do everything the Sno-Riders do you need a number of volunteers, and he鈥檚 just one piece of the larger puzzle that get everything accomplished.
鈥淥ur snowmobile club... they鈥檙e all volunteers, and we all participate equally in this respect. It鈥檚 just nice that someone from our area got recognized, and I was lucky enough to be the guy to get the award,鈥� Bilous says.
鈥淚 am very appreciative of the award, but all our members participate聽 in the award, it wouldn鈥檛 be right for me to carry the whole award on my shoulders.鈥�
The base of volunteers that supports the sport, both in Yorkton and around the province with the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, are what make the sport as great, Bilous says, and this is an opportunity to recognize the work they do.
鈥淣obody realizes this but probably 95 per cent of everything that鈥檚 done is volunteers in the snowmobile industry. It鈥檚 great to have all of those volunteers working together to get things done.鈥�
Bilous has been involved with snowmobiling in the region from the outset, before there was even a Sno-Riders club. He says that his involvement has been because he believes it鈥檚 a great sport.
鈥淭he people are the best part of the sport, you鈥檒l always meet the best people on a snowmobile.鈥�
He thanks Jason Popowich, President of the Yorkton Sno-Riders, for putting his name forward for the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association Diamonds in the Snow 2014 Snowmobiler of the Year award, which qualified him for national recognition.
The main hope Bilous has for the award is to raise the profile of the region as a snowmobiling destination, especially among people who might not have considered Yorkton to be a destination before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be recognized on a national level. I鈥檓 sure a lot of people in the room don鈥檛 realize where Saskatchewan is, let alone Yorkton, and it will probably create interest in snowmobilers coming to this area and actually participating and riding on our trails.鈥�
Going forward, Bilous wants the upcoming winter to be the same as all snowmobilers want, to have lots of snow and moderate temperatures.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great winter pastime and I just want to be involved in it.鈥�
