Overview

On your marks!

I t’s time to gear up for the annual BCV 24H Villars ski race! On the 16 and 17 January 2010, the spirit of competition and teamwork will warm the mountain air on the ski slopes above Villars, in the Vaud Alps, for the 12th year in a row. Participants will be looking to beat the records set in the 2008 10th anniversary edition, including the CHF 400,000 raised for organizations that work with disadvantaged children. The weekend will once again feature live music and rides in the BCV hot air balloon. This marks the fourth year that BCV has supported the race, and we are happy to continue our backing for the commitment and drive of both the participants and organizers.

BCV joins the race to beat cancer

The BCV 24H Villars is open to skiers of all levels, who sign up as part of a team. Nearly 1,000 participants are expected to be at the starting line this year. The skiers on each team relay one another nonstop for 24 hours straight through the night! in order to cover as many miles as possible. Every mile skied will raise muchneeded funds for charitable organizations devoted to fighting cancer, including the Ligue vaudoise contre le cancer. The BCV 24H Villars is all about teamwork, performance and communitythree key values at BCV. As in past years, we will not just be sponsoring the event, a number of teams made up of BCV employees will also be taking part.

BCV is proud to work alongside the event organizers, whose success can be seen in the everincreasing number of participants and the growing buzz surrounding the event despite occasionally tough weather conditions.

Hot air balloon and music

For those seeking an aerial view of the festivities, tethered rides in the BCV hot air balloon will be available. There will also be live music: a series of concerts will fire up the festive atmosphere at La Bretaye, where the après-ski is likely to begin well before the last mile is skied.

History

Formula Charity

Formula Charity was set up by Craig Pollock in the autumn of 1998. It's a non profit organization, which sets out to raise funds for charity by organising various events and meetings throughout the year. The charities, which have already benefited from Formula Charity include:

List of Charities for 12 years

Formula Charity's most famous event is, of course, the Villars 24-hour Ski Race. It's described as 'a ski race for everybody', and is made up of two 'easy' downhills (one during the day, the other in the night). It is a team relay race, and the teams accumulate a maximum number of kilometres to raise money for charity.

Welcome from Barbara and Craig

W hen we conceived this event back in 1997 with the help of Pierre Besson, it was impossible to imagine that it would go on to become an event that would continue to remain so successful until today.

The unwavering support of the committee, patrons, volunteers, participants and sponsors has been amazing. The members of the organisation team have supported each other relentlessly, remaining together all these years, and this shows that the success is not just driven by «the event» but more importantly by the very reason behind the event, «CHARITY» - and the Team`s belief that they/we are all working together for a great cause.

2010’s BCV 24H Villars will support a different charity from any other year. One of the event’s patrons, Barbara Pollock, who for the first time, has allowed us to take into account her own personal battle with breast cancer, has inspired us and our principal sponsors to chose charities supporting the fight against cancer, and particularly against breast cancer. We all owe a huge thank you to Barbara for all the work she has put into helping others even when things were difficult for her. Many thanks to all of you for your support and please please let`s have a safe, fun and most of all CHARITABLE 12th edition of the Formula Charity 24 Hours of Villars.