FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2010

Gringos Giving Back:
How your ski trip can support Chilean earthquake victims this winter

Santiago, Chile (4/14/2010)—

The rebuilding of homes and lives in coastal Chile is becoming more urgent as winter approaches. People taking a South American ski trip this winter can directly help families in Chile left devastated by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake and tsunami of Feb. 27.

USA-based skiing and snowboarding company PowderQuest Tours, personally affected by the disaster, has partnered with Save The Waves Chile Earthquake Relief Fund and is donating $100 for each Chilean ski tour sold this season towards their direct aid efforts.

“The colder weather is threatening the wellbeing of thousands of people left without homes or livelihoods,” says David Owen of PowderQuest Tours. “Families are still surviving in tents and living on donated food.”

Until Feb. 27 the parents of David’s Chilean wife Carolina lived in Pelluhue, on the coast just north of the epicenter. They escaped injury in the earthquake and their house was spared by the tsunami by just meters. While the shell of their house still stands, everything inside it is damaged. The town is in ruins and many of their friends are homeless.

Save the Wave’s early March donations went straight to the people who needed help, avoiding bureaucratic delays and helping to distribute fresh water, water filters, sleeping bags and tents.

“We started working with Save The Waves in the early days following the quake, as they already worked in the Pacific Coastal communities and are best placed to get the aid to where it is needed. We know where the money is going,” says David. “The new phase is focused on rebuilding communities and giving people back their ability to manage their own lives and earn a living.”

Save The Waves has a team on the ground now aiding in the rebuilding effort. Focusing on the affected coastal region, Save the Waves has pledged to stretch every dollar donated to help local Chilean leaders and community members clean up their coastlines, plant and tend organic vegetable gardens, provide tools and supplies to artisanal fishing communities and buy construction materials.

Their supporters include actor Paul Walker who visited in March to see the work they were doing.

About PowderQuest Tours
With more than a decade of experience in South America, PowderQuest Tours has been recommended by The Wall Street Journal and award winning travel guides Frommer’s, Fodor’s and Moon Handbooks. Their snowboarding and skiing tours blend adventure, culture, local cuisine and cozy lodging on a quest for powder. An Associate Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association, based in the USA and Chile, they are dedicated to offering the ultimate freeride adventures in the Andes and British Columbia.

PowderQuest carries the ethos of responsible tourism and giving back to the local community. “Chile has been good to us for more than 10 years,” says David. “We will continue to do everything we can to help people get back on their feet.”

More information, video and images on:
Chile Earthquake Relief

Contact: David Owen
1-888-565-7158 Toll Free North America
1-970-455-4790
[email protected]
https://twitter.com/PowderQuest
https://www.powderquest.com