HilltopperMTB Receives Grant

St. Johnsbury Academy and fitness and recreation affiliate RecFit recently received a $5,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation to support the RecFit HilltopperMTB Youth program. HilltopperMTB is an inclusive mountain bike race program for students in grades 5 to 12. The program is run through St. Johnsbury Academy and draws student-athletes from a diverse group of schools. Student-athletes meet to practice at local trails, including Kingdom Trails, from late August to late October, and have the opportunity to race in four Vermont Youth Cycling races during the fall. The $5,000 grant will help HilltopperMTB lower fees, compensate coaches, and maintain their fleet of 20 free loaner mountain bikes.

The Vermont Community Foundation, established in 1986, and its over 1,000 funds, foundations, and supporting organizations put more than $60 million annually to work in, and are a key source of philanthropic support for, Vermont communities.

SJA senior Sisu Lange has participated in Hilltopper MTB since it started during his 9th grade year. In this year’s final race at their home course, Kingdom Trails, Sisu came in 5th in the top group, achieving the first podium in the program’s history. He said, “I think that the most important thing about Hilltopper MTB is our sense of community and team spirit. I have seen the team grow over the last four years, and its impact on many people in our school and local community has been immense. Just because some of our club members race doesn’t mean that’s all we do. We are here to get kids out on bikes, to enjoy the natural beauty of our little part of Vermont, and mainly, to have fun!” Sisu also volunteers to teach and help instill a love of mountain biking with the younger team members.

SJA English teacher James Bentley has been one of the driving forces behind the  Hilltopper MTB program since its inception. He said, “This grant allows St. Johnsbury Recreation to reduce the registration fees for Hilltopper MTB by 50%, and we are grateful to the Vermont Community Foundation for increasing access to outdoor recreation programming for kids in the Northeast Kingdom.”

Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell said, “The vision for Hilltopper MTB from the start has been to encourage as much participation and involvement as possible for youth in our community, and it has been wonderful to see how successful they have been. We’re grateful for this grant from VCF—it comes at a great time to make sure the program remains accessible to everyone.”