WARREN, Vermont ??” As Sugarbush vet and Green Mountain Valley School graduate Daron Rahlves prepares to lead the Men’s Alpine Skiing squad in their quest for Olympic gold in Torino, Sugarbush Resort will be doing its part to help the United States Ski Team.

On February 11th Sugarbush will take part in the inaugural U.S. Ski Team Day, a national event to benefit Team athletes and initiatives. The Resort will donate one dollar per All-Mountain lift ticket sold on Saturday back to the U.S. Ski Team. The money raised will be used to assist the Team’s current competitors in their training efforts as well as the squad’s future stars. Seventy-five resorts and ski areas around the country are participating in the promotion. Sugarbush and Mad River Glen are the only areas in northern Vermont helping in the effort.

“The U.S. Ski Team Day will provide an outstanding opportunity for skiers to celebrate our sport during the Olympic period and to help the athletes of the U.S. Ski Team to be ‘Best in the World’ in 2006,” said Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski Team and a former Olympian himself.

In addition to the lift ticket contribution, Sugarbush will also hold an Olympic Race Challenge. For a $5 donation to the U.S. Ski Team, skiers or riders will be able to take on two-time Olympian Doug Lewis in the Resort’s NASTAR course. Lewis, who competed in the 1984 and 1988 Winter Games, will also be offering race pointers to participants. Prizes will be award to the fastest skier and rider of the day as well as the top 10 lowest NASTAR handicaps from the event. The Challenge will take place from 10AM to 2:30PM on the Legends Race Arena at Lincoln Peak.

“This is an excellent chance to share in the excitement of the Olympics with our guests,” remarked Sugarbush president Win Smith. “The slopes here have been used by so many former Olympians, from Lew [Doug Lewis] to Jeremy and Shannon Nobis to AJ Kitt, that it’s nice to have the opportunity to help out the Team.”

The Twentieth Olympic Winter Games will get underway this Friday evening when an estimated two billion people worldwide will tune in to watch the Opening Ceremonies. Fifteen days of world-class competition will follow with the Freestyle skiing events beginning on February 11th and the snowboarding and Alpine skiing competition starting on February 12th. For complete Olympic event information visit www.torino2006.org.

For all of the latest information on Sugarbush events and to see the construction progress of the new Clay Brook residences, visit www.sugarbush.com.