News Release: SkiTAM 2007 Sets Record Levels of Participation and Financial Support For U.S. Disabled Ski Team
More than 1,300 participants and 100 Sponsors Raise Over $1 million
Denver, CO -- (April 16, 2007) The 12th Annual SkiTAM, a fund-raising event for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team organized by CTAM of the Rocky Mountains, turned in record results, thanks to more than 100 industry sponsors and over 1,300 participants at the event. While the field results are still being tallied, gross receipts for the event are expected to exceed $1 million, with the SkiTAM Athlete Partnership Program reporting an additional $500,000 in athlete sponsorships. The event finished with the promise of even better results for next year, as more than 25 of this year’s sponsors announced their renewals for SkiTAM 2008.SkiTAM Co-Chairs Joe Rooney, chief marketing officer for Cox Communications and former SkiTAM sponsorship committee chairman, and Steve Raymond, who co-founded the event in 1995 and currently serves as senior vice president of national accounts for Disney and ESPN Networks’ Affiliate Sales and Marketing unit, used the closing night SkiTAM banquet to thank this year’s sponsors and participants. They also recognized the event staff and volunteers who ensure that the industry’s seventh-largest gathering also ranks as its top networking events.
Hayashi’s Head Shave Caps Silent Auction Donations
Mike Hayashi, senior vice president of advanced engineering and subscriber technologies for Time Warner Cable and member of the SkiTAM Sponsorship Committee, showed his personal commitment to the USDST by pledging that he would shave his head for a $5,000 donation. In gratitude to Hayashi, USDST athlete Brad Washburn pledged to also shave his abundant head of red locks. Thanks to collaboration among bidders, including Hayashi, the total exceeded $10,000 when Disabled Team athlete Joe Thompkins had the head- shaving honors at the Saturday night SkiTAM awards banquet.
Providing an additional example of the generosity that typifies SkiTAM was Rainbow’s Kathy Newbeger, who donated her $750.00 “Pot of cash” winnings to the team. The complete list of SkiTAM 2007 sponsors and companies that donated to the annual SkiTAM Silent Auction, as well as 2007 race results, may be found at the SkiTAM web site.
Another 2007 SkiTAM highlight came from Mika Ito and INT2, who made a wish come true for a terminally ill cancer patient Aaron Kittel. INT2 paid for Aaron and his brother to come to Vail and ski with members of the 2007 U.S. Disabled Ski Team.
USDST Athletes Thank SkiTAMers
“SkiTAM is like coming home from a long trip to see your family,” explained Ray Watkins, Alpine coach for the U.S. Disable Ski Team. “Everyone affiliated with SkiTAM is like a part of our family. The athletes focus on their performance all season and now have time to come back and thank the people who made their season possible.”
In addition to the more than $1 million that is donated by SkiTAM event and team sponsorships, individual registrations and the Silent Auction, SkiTAM created the Athlete Partnership Program. Now in its sixth year, APP has grown from $25,000 in donations to more than $500,000 in annual sponsorships from 25 companies or organizations.
SkiTAM, which started when the Team was on the brink of collapse in the mid 1990’s, helped to ensure its continuity through donations that represent more than half of its annual budget and have enkindled support from other major sponsors. The three-day fundraiser provides more than half of the operating budget for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, enabling it to remain the top ski team in the world for disabled skiers. More information about the Disabled Team may be found on the U.S. Ski Team’s web site by clicking on the Disabled Team button.
This year’s attendees included many of the faces at the first event twelve years ago, including former ATC CEO and CTAM Grand Tam honoree Tryg Myhren and Chuck Ellis, a former chief marketing officer for Time Warner Cable and recipient of the 2006 CTAM One of a Kind Award.
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