Hood Meadows Hosts New Ski to Defeat ALS Event

The goal is $100,000, and a former CMH North American representative is one of the driving forces behind the fundraiser to be held at Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon. The fundraiser on April 14, 2012 aims raise money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Seventy-four-year-old Fred Noble, known to friends and the Portland ski community as The Fredinator, was diagnosed with ALS in December 2010. The life-long skier who worked with Canadian Mountain Holidays for 38 years suddenly needed to adapt everything in his life to accommodate living with ALS, and the local chapter of The ALS Association helped out. In repayment, Noble is leading the fundraising charge, having set a personal goal of $10,000.

Noble credits the local chapter of The ALS Association with helping him with loans of adaptive equipment, advice on remodeling his house to accommodate his new needs, and dealing with medical insurance. Even with ALS, he has not given up skiing, but has converted to skiing with adaptive gear.

Meet Fred Noble, the skier behind the project, in this video that includes clips of his younger days of skiing:

Along with Noble, skiers and snowboarders can participate in Ski To Defeat ALS on April 14 at Mt. Hood Meadows. Participants can enter as individuals or in teams of friends, business associates, or families. Participants compete in fundraising as well as the vertical feet amassed on Ski To Defeat ALS day.

The Ski To Defeat ALS entry fee costs $75. That includes a full day lift ticket, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beverages. For $25, non-skiing guests can join the event if registered by April 2. In addition to the entry fee, each entrant must raise $150.

As of mid-March, the fundraising efforts are approaching 70 percent of the $100,000 goal.

For information on the Ski To Defeat ALS event, go here.