TESSA'S ASCENSION

The 2010 event will be held on Saturday March 20th.

The ASCENSION is a memorial endurance ski race to honor one of our Ski Patrollers who lost her life while serving in the Peace Corps.Tessa earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education and wanted to engage in meaningful service to others and to the cause of environmental health, restoration, and world peace. In 2006 she joined the Peace Corp and was assigned to Tonga as a teacher of children. Her desire to help others and to give of herself drew her to this remote part of the world where she strived to make a difference in the lives of people in need. While teaching in Tonga, Tessa recognized that the children needed a library. She wrote and called home about her dream of establishing a children's library.

Tessa was an extraordinary and wonderful woman who was always concerned with the welfare of others and restoring the health and sustainability of our planet. She cared deeply for the environment and could usually be found in the outdoors- gardening, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, backpacking, and especially skiing, both uphill and down. Tessa's Ascension is an event established by her friends and family to honor her and her committment to a better and more peaceful world.

Pictures of Past Ascensions

The Ascension is an endurance ski event for all levels of skiers and riders. We welcome both beginner and expert participants. The event carries on Tessa's committment to childhood education, care for the environment, and humanitarian work. It is also a celebration of her love of the mountains and skiing. It honors our beautiful mountain environment and the idea of health through fitness. Past events have raised funds for a children's library in Tonga, an organic community garden in Santa Fe, breast cancer research, and the care of those in need who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in NM.

For this year's Ascension, our motto is:

                   SUPPORTING PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION

Every year we strive to find a new cause to raise money in order to honor Tessa's commitment to a better and more peaceful world. This year we are very excited to announce our proceeds will be donated to the Central Asia Institute (CAI). The mission of the CIA is to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The CAI organizes and funds educational projects in the most remote regions where very few organizations will operate. Each project involves local people in all phases of the project: to plan, implement, and evaluate. A committee of elders and experts guide each selected project. CAI funds are matched with equal amounts of local resources and labor. Such a commitment ensures the projects viability and long-term success. The CAI emphasizes educating girls and women, for which they have had great success due to the support of the local communities and elders---58,000 students have been educated, of which 40,000 are girls! There are 131 schools fully or partially funded, 1200+ teachers fully or partially funded, womens vocational centers, women's literacy centers,infant re-hydration training, and much more.

       "Peace and Hope Begin With Education: One Child at a time."

Please visit www.IKAT.org for more information on this organization founded by Greg Mortenson. Copies of Greg's books (Three cups of Tea and Stones into Schools) can be found on Amazon.com, with 7% of the proceeds going to CAI.

                              Pictures of Schools and Children

^{_{RACE DESCRIPTION:}} Skiers will use randonee or telemark gear with climbing skins, and snowboarders and those on regular downhill Alpine gear can participate by using snowshoes for the uphill segment. There is also an untimed non-competitive walking division. The course will ascend from the base of Santa Fe Ski area (elevation 10,340 ft.) to the top of the Superchief Quad Chairlift (elevation 11,250 ft.). After securing their climbing skins or snowshoes on their person, participants ski down a modified giant slalom course to the finish line at the base area. Helmets are required to be worn and properly buckled for the downhill portion of the race. The average time to complete the course is around 45 minutes. The Ascension starts at 5:30 pm. Post-race refreshments and food will be provided during the awards ceremony and celebration. Call (505) 992-5086 or email codys@sfpatrol.org with any questions.