For immediate release: Jan. 27, 2011

BLOOMSBURG — The Quest program at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is gearing up for an event- filled spring semester, beginning with the third annual Human-Powered Winter Festival and 5K on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quest, a leadership development program, will hold the event on upper campus. The festival is free and open to the public and students of all ages. A $20 registration fee will be charged for the 5K.

The festival will include events such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, mock ice climbing, dog sledding and, depending on weather conditions, the universally accessible zip line. The event is expected to take place regardless of weather conditions; in extreme weather, Quest will post a notice on its website, www.buquest.org.

Schedule is as follows:

10 to 10:45 a.m. - Registration for 5K
11 a.m. - 5K race begins
11:05 a.m. - Snowshoe clinic
11:35 a.m. - Ice screw clinic
12:05 p.m. - Cross country ski clinic
12:35 p.m. - Hypothermia/winter injuries clinic
1:05 p.m. - Winter dress and layering clinic
1:35 p.m. - Snowman-building competition
2:05 p.m. - Rope team clinic

Other Quest events during 2011 include rock climbing at Smith Rocks, Oregon, March 3 to 12, at a cost of $585 per person; free climbing on the upper campus rock wall, April 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and summer camps in June. Season passes are available.

For more information, contact Quest at (570) 389-4323 or quest@bloomu.edu, or visit Quest’s website, www.buquest.org.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 9,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.