Wildcat Mountain 100,000 Vertical Challenge Sets Donation Record to Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire

Pinkham Notch, NH, March 10, 2010 --(PR.com)-- A record number 37 participating skiers and riders registered and accepted the challenge to ski or ride over 100,000 vertical feet on Monday, March 1st to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire. Weather for the event had concluded a multi-day storm that had dropped 4.5 feet of new snow and a final field of 34 male & female, young & old, ski, snowboard, and telemark participants were faced with a day that had its challenges in addition to the task at hand. Despite a delayed start due to 5-foot wind drifts that prevented initial summit access, strong summit winds, and daytime snows that had accumulated an additional 8 inches by day’s end, event participants once again took on the legendary Lynx trail and were able to collectively raise over $35,000 in pledge donations and set an event record high donation amount for their efforts.

On account of the delayed start and day’s challenging conditions, none were able to complete skiing or riding the 100,000 vertical foot challenge (48 runs down the Lynx trail), but top finisher for the day was Jonathan Green of Berlin, NH having completed 40 runs in the 7.5 hours available to participants. Other top finishers with all 3 having completed 39 runs were Christopher Anctil of Portsmouth, NH; Kevin Elwood of Rowley, NH; & Michael Kenney of North Attleboro, MA. Top fundraisers for this year’s 100K Day were lead by Kevin Elwood of Rowley, NH having single-handedly raised well over $8,000 collected that day with an additional company matching donation amount of over $6,000 being sent to Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire after the event. For a second year in a row, Chris Scannell of Marblehead, MA was second top fundraiser with over $3,000 in donations collected and Michael Spooner of Dorchester, MA was the third highest having contributed over $2,000 in collected donations for the event.

Not including this year’s new record high donation amount, since the first 100,000 vertical foot challenge took place in 2004, the annual event’s cumulative donation amount has exceeded $100,000 and has established Wildcat Mountain amongst the higher “Society of Strength” donors recognized by Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire and directly benefiting their endeavors. The annual 100K event is unique to Wildcat Mountain coupling the accessibility and speed of the Wildcat Express high-speed, summit lift and the ski area’s greater than 2,100 vertical foot drop.

Wildcat Mountain would like to thank all participants, donation supporters, volunteers, and recognize those that helped to make the event possible providing in-kind support, participant gift bag donations, and top fundraising prizes including: Rossignol, Jack Frost Ski Shop, Dakine, Green Wax, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, & Boston’s WFNX 101.7fm.

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire (www.newhampshire.wish.org) is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It strives to provide children with the hope for better times, the strength for the tough times and the joy to experience the present. The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire is part of the nation's largest and most recognized wish-granting organization, with chapters and volunteers throughout the United States and the world.

Wildcat Mountain is a year-round, family-owned business, located 100% within the White Mountain National Forest in Pinkham Notch, NH. It is home to the 75-year-old Wildcat Trail first cut by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 and is renowned for its proximity to Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine. For further information, please visit skiwildcat.com or call 1-888- SKI WILD.

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