Two-time snowboard Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott’s “Be a winter kid” message appears on TV quite often these days.

Wescott is a spokesman for the Winter Kids Foundation here in Maine, a nonprofit established 15 years ago to encourage the state’s young people to experience the great out of doors in the colder weather months.

Winter Kids takes its promotion a step further by offering free passes to fifth, sixth and seventh graders statewide, accepted at many of Maine’s winter ski and recreational facilities.

Wescott is an ideal spokesman for the program. He’s young, he’s made a name for himself in the sports world and, most importantly of all, he walks the walk and talks the talk because he believes wholeheartedly in the message.

He was the ultimate “winter kid,” loving the outdoors and winter sports from a young age. He was happiest when he was out of doors, and by the time he had reached the ripe old age of 10, he was already “into” snowboarding.

Wescott is not only passionate about winter sports, he believes they keep young children healthy. Today’s youngsters have their own computers, video games, iPads and telephones, and think nothing of spending hours at a time in their bedroom or on the couch with their favorite electronic gadget.

When the weather turns chilly or the snow begins to fall, going outdoors is not on their radar screen. Both Wescott and Winter Kids are trying to change this attitude.

Maine winters have a lot to offer — downhill or cross country skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, snowshoeing, skating, sliding, tubing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, hunting, building snow forts and snowmen — the list of possible activities is endless. The message of Winter Kids is “get outdoors and enjoy it.”

When we were young, staying indoors in our free time was not very challenging. We didn’t have all of the bells and whistles available today for entertainment, so we went outdoors, joined friends, and proceeded to enjoy ourselves. Did it make us healthier? We’d like to think so, despite the occasional rosy red cheeks, ice-cold feet and hands and lectures from parents on not coming inside soon enough.

We hope Wescott’s message hits home, and parents all across the state encourage their children to experience all of the fun things Maine has to offer.

If the learn to appreciate the out of doors in winter as youngsters, the chances are good that they’ll continue to do so throughout their lifetime, and discover that while we sometimes call winter the “off” season, for some, it’s their favorite time of year.