Whistler Sabbatical Project offers once in a lifetime experiences

Whistler, B.C. – Things are heating up in Whistler with the Sabbatical Project heading into one of the resort's most famous kitchens.

From farm to table, Whistler’s acclaimed Araxi Restaurant, under the leadership of Executive Chef James Walt, is an industry leader, consistently recognized as one of the resort’s top restaurants. The opportunity to learn from Walt – one of Canada’s finest culinary masters – is an experience that most could only dream of. For the winner of the Whistler Sabbatical Project, however, this dream could become a reality.

Launched October 17, the Whistler Sabbatical Project is a season-long winter marketing campaign in the form of a contest offering the ultimate Whistler prize – an all-expenses paid, month-long Whistler vacation featuring airfare, lift passes, equipment, a series of unique Whistler experiences and a salary (up to $4,200).

For each week of the 15-week project, a new Whistler experience is featured and profiled with a vignette and the opportunity to build an itinerary of Whistler experiences that simply cannot be purchased. Each week contestants are presented with the experience and asked “Would You Do It?” Contest entries are earned each time the poll is answered.

This week features the question: Would you be a regionally-inspired chef’s apprentice for an evening? The experience features Araxi Restaurant. Consistently recognized as one of Whistler’s top restaurants, Araxi employs a farm to table philosophy. At the helm of the iconic Whistler restaurant is Executive Chef James Walt, a leader in Canada’s culinary world who inspires with his compelling regional cuisine. In addition to ingredients harvested from the region, Walt’s seasonally-inspired menus feature the freshest seafood catches direct from the Pacific Ocean, complemented by an extensive wine cellar comprising wines from British Columbia and beyond. As Walt states, “When you get something on a plate from Araxi, you know exactly what season it is outside.”

Now in its fifth week, the Whistler Sabbatical Project continues to draw interest from all over the world, driving visits to www.whistler.com, bringing more fans to the Tourism Whistler Facebook page and piquing interest from those hoping to win the Whistler experience of a lifetime. More than 7,500 contest entries have been received to date and GoWhistler Facebook fans have grown by 331 per cent – almost 10 times the average monthly growth. The series of compelling yet brief videos published on the campaign microsite have received over 13,700 views to date.

While the grand prize winner of the Whistler Sabbatical Project will have the opportunity to join Chef Walt in his kitchen preparing authentic dishes, one lucky winner will also win dinner for two at Araxi plus a cooking lesson from Walt week via Facebook at facebook.com/GoWhistler. 

The Whistler Sabbatical Project and the weekly prize contests are open to residents in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. Contest rules and conditions apply. Weekly prize winners will be drawn randomly. The Whistler Sabbatical Project contest closes January 31, 2012 with 10 randomly-selected finalists drawn between February 1-10, 2012 and the grand-prize winner notified on February 13, 2012. The Whistler Sabbatical prize must be redeemed between March 1 - April 30, 2012. Contest entry for the Whistler Sabbatical Project is available at whistler.com/wouldyoudoit

The microsite for the Whistler Sabbatical Project is featured on the whistler.com website – Whistler’s official information site and the call to action for the resort, offering the largest selection and one-stop shopping with no booking fee for accommodation, lift tickets or activities. Whistler-based reservation agents at whistler.comcan also customize a vacation package, taking care of flights, transportation, accommodation and activities. Call 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com for more details and offers.

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