Image: Team Canada / Team Canada freestyle skier and Chilliwack native Reece Howden will be in town this weekend for a Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement food drive on Saturday, June 10 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Chilliwack Ford. The goal behind the event is to fill a Salvation Army food truck with non-perishable food items, according to BIA executive director Trevor McDonald.
Olympic skier visiting Chilliwack

Olympic skier to visit Chilliwack Ford this Saturday for Salvation Army food drive

Jun 8, 2023 | 9:14 AM

CHILLIWACK — An Olympic freestyle skier from Team Canada will headline a food drive event this Saturday, sponsored by the Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement District, in partnership with Chilliwack Ford.

Team Canada freestyle skiing sensation Reece Howden will be the special guest of the Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement Association during a food drive happening this Saturday, June 10 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Chilliwack Ford, 45681 Yale Road.

BIA executive Trevor McDonald says the Salvation Army food supplies are hovering at extremely low levels and it would be wonderful to see the community come out to support them at a time like this.

Howden, 24, is a native of Chilliwack who currently resides in Cultus Lake. According to his Team Canada biography, Howden had a tremendous 2020-21 World Cup season, winning four gold medals and a pair of silvers. He missed advancing to a small final or big final in just three of his 11 events. He captured the Crystal Globe as the World Cup’s top-ranked racer in men’s ski cross. He was also the top Canadian man in ski cross at the 2021 FIS World Championships, winning the small final to finish fifth overall.

Howden debuted in the Beijing 2022 Olympics where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals, finishing ninth overall. Before the end of the 2021-22 season, he earned his sixth career World Cup victory in March in Reiteralm, Austria.

Howden got his first taste of World Cup competition in January 2018 at the Canadian-hosted event in Nakiska. During the 2018-19 season, Howden raced in two World Cup small finals, winning one. After another small final victory in December 2019, he raced in his first big final in Nakiska in January 2020 and came away with his first career World Cup victory.

The goal behind the food drive event is to fill the Salvation Army food truck to the top with non-perishable food items.