Olympians Headline Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows US Ski Team Day

[Olympic Valley and Tahoe City, Calif.] March 29, 2012 – Legends of American skiing, including Olympians Julia Mancuso, Jonny Moseley, Shannon Bahrke, Marco Sullivan, Tamara McKinney and many more, will hit the slopes at Squaw Valley April 7 for the first Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows US Ski Team Day. Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal will also appear as a special guest.

Supporters of the event, which will raise funds for the US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, have an opportunity to spend the day skiing with US Ski Team and Squaw Valley athletes, Olympians and alumni on the slopes of Squaw Valley. The event will also feature a US Ski Team Pro-Am Race with afternoon activities including a public autograph session on the KT Deck and live music by San Francisco band Tea Leaf Green. The day will conclude with a star-studded après ski party at the Olympic Village Lodge.

Each year, nationwide events like the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows US Ski Team Day raise millions of dollars in funding to support the athletes of the US Ski Team, US Snowboarding and US Freeskiing. More specifically, the funds generated through the Squaw Valley event will support elite athlete training, development, competition and educational needs in the critical years leading up to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. In addition to supporting the US Ski Team, a portion of the funds raised will go directly to the Squaw Valley Ski Team.

"Squaw Valley has a rich tradition in winter sports and the development of US Ski Team and US Snowboarding athletes," said Squaw Valley President and Alpine Meadows CEO Andy Wirth. "We are proud to host this event at Squaw Valley and to support the efforts of the Team. We look forward to offering our guests and aspiring young athletes the chance to celebrate, race and mingle with past and present legends of the sport."

A highlight of the event is the afternoon Pro-Am race. Teams of five racers will be paired with a celebrity skier and will go head-to-head on the race course. The US Ski Team is currently looking for local businesses and individuals to sponsor teams for the Pro-Am Race. Every team that is sponsored will be composed of two deserving Squaw Valley Ski Team racers, two local US Ski Team alumni, and an additional racer chosen by the sponsor. Individuals and groups are also encouraged to put together and enter their own teams for the race. Pro-Am Race entry begins at a $1,000 entry donation per team sponsorship or a $200 donation per racer.

The day's festivities will conclude with an exclusive Après Ski Party and celebration at the Olympic Village Lodge where fans will have an opportunity to meet and mingle with the visiting Olympians after their day on the slopes. Individual tickets to the après ski party are available for a $150 donation to the Team. Family packages are also available for a $300 donation. In thanks of their support, all guests will receive an official US Ski Team t-shirt and be entered into a raffle for the chance to win exclusive US Ski Team gear and prizes.

The US Ski Team hosted a similar fundraising event at Windham Mountain in New York earlier this season that featured Olympian champions Tommy Moe, Donna Weinbrecht and Diann Roffe among others. The Team is excited to expand the successful event concept to Squaw and Alpine Meadows with the hope of hosting similar US Ski Team Days at resorts across the country.

The US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation is currently welcoming donations and RSVPs for the 2012 Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows US Ski Team Day. Sponsorship levels range from a $150 donation to attend the Après Ski Party to a $2,500, all-inclusive Olympic sponsorship package for two. The Foundation is also looking for businesses and individuals to sponsor teams for the afternoon Pro-Am race. All donations to the Team are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Potential sponsors can contact Jessica Miller at the US Ski Team for more information (jmiller@ussa.org or 435.647.2095), or visit http://foundation.ussa.org/foundation.

2012 Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows US Ski Team Day Schedule
8 a.m. -- Welcome breakfast with Olympic sponsors
9 a.m. -- Olympic sponsors private ski time with skiing legends - on hill at Squaw Valley
11:45 p.m. -- VIP lunch
1 p.m. -- Pro-Am race
Afternoon -- Public activities at KT deck with live music from Tea Leaf Green
Afternoon -- Public athlete autograph session at the KT deck
5:30 p.m. -- Après Ski Party with US Ski Team athletes at The Olympic Village Lodge
8 p.m. -- Evening concludes

Featured Athletes:
Julia Mancuso
Tamara McKinney
Jonny Moseley
Marco Sullivan
Shannon Bahrke
Stacey Cook
Nick Daniels
Sho Kashima
Special Guest: Aksel Lund Svindal
More to be confirmed

Event Committee:
Doug Ballinger
Robert Capps
Mak Kariotis
Todd Kelly
Bill Lavis
Cecil McGehee
Vince Sosnkowski
Curtis Tischler
John Underwood
Andy Wirth
Squaw Valley

About the US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation
The US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation is the nonprofit, fundraising arm of the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body of skiing and snowboarding. With an organizational vision to be the best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding, the foundation raises money to support year-round athlete training, development, competition and educational needs of world-class athletes pursuing their Olympic dream. The USSA receives no federal funding or subsidy moneys and operates solely through private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. Some of the major giving programs include Olympic hospitality, major gifts, the Gold Pass program, special event fundraisers, VIP on-snow clinics and planned giving. The Foundation was incorporated in 1964 as a 501(c) 3 organization and is based in Park City, Utah.