NORTH CONWAY, New Hampshire ??” The third annual Bill Johnson Vertical Challenge for Brain Injury Awareness, is returning to Cranmore Mountain Resort on Saturday, January 28. Hosted by the Brian Injury Association of NH (BIANH) the events raises money to help with outreach programs and discretionary funding for families.

Registration for the event begins at 7 a.m. in the Eating House and teams will be given the opportunity to have photos taken with Olympic skier Bill Johnson. Registration is open to everyone and teams are required to raise at least $350 in donations to participate in the event. Team members can pre-register for the event online at www.billjohnsonverticalchallenge.org. The race for the most runs kicks off at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 2 p.m. Teams will compete to total the most vertical feet of skiing in a single day on the slopes. Every time a team member makes a run, 1,200 feet will be added to that team’s vertical score. At the end of the day, all team scores will be tallied and the winners will be announced at the awards party.

In addition, prizes will be presented to the team that collects the most money through sponsor pledges, identifying the most checkpoints and a chance for the grand prize drawing for 4 Unlimited Threedom Passes for the 2006-2007 season. Following the event, participants of the BJVC will receive a barbecue lunch and admission to an apr??s ski party.

Bill Johnson is known for becoming the first American to win Olympic Gold in the downhill at the Sarajevo Olympics in 1984. While training and preparing for a return to competition in 2001, Bill experienced a life-altering accident at Montana’s Big Mountain. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and the accident left the right side of his body in a weakened condition. Since the accident and subsequent setbacks Bill Johnson is making a difference in the lives of others who also suffer from brain injuries.

“Prevention is the only cure for brain injury. Most brain injuries are predictable and preventable, and wearing a helmet improves the chance of recovery from a fall without disability,” says Steven Wade, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire.

The Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire is a private, non-profit organization representing over 5,000 New Hampshire residents with brain disorders. The BIANH was founded in 1983 by New Hampshire parents seeking to bring their brain-injured children home from out-of-state nursing homes.

For more information on Cranmore events, please visit www.cranmore.com or call1-800-SUN N SKI.