Saturday’s Summit for Life event saw 435 participants flock to Aspen Mountain in honor of organ, eye, and tissue donations, according to a Tuesday news release.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Saturday’s Summit for Life event saw 435 participants flock to Aspen Mountain in honor of organ, eye, and tissue donations, according to a Tuesday news release.
The record-breaking event included 328 athletes and 107 ride-for-lifers from all over the country who all gathered in support of the Chris Klug Foundation and their mission to Eliminate the Wait.
This year’s winner for the men was John Gaston in a time of 40:58, followed shortly by Scott Lacy at 51:13 and Wyatt Smith at 54:09.
The women were also in the mix, with Kristin Layne’s winning time coming in at 51:57, Jessie Young took second at 52:10, and Rachel Beck at 1:02:02 in third. The top under-12 girl was a three-way tie for Brooke Schaefer, Keira Schaefer, and Cora Chimerakis, who all finished in a time of 1:21:17.
For boys under 12, Griffin Waldron took the win with a time of 1:21:33. The winning male youth (17 and under) was a familiar name Wyatt Smith in a time of 54:09. For the female youth, Willow Schaefer climbed to victory in 1:22:04.
Finally, Bob Wade clinched the win again in the male senior division with 1:14:05. Maria Pereira was the senior female victor with a time of 1:59:09.
All results from this year’s race can be viewed at http://www.summitforlife.org.
“This year’s fundraising was also record-breaking, with the participants raising $122,558 through registration and fundraising, with fundraising dollars still coming in,” the release states. “On top of that, CKF saw wonderful support from local businesses and sponsorships, with $40,500 in sponsorships accompanied by over $20,000 in in-kind donations.”
This year’s top fundraisers
- Lara Hoffmans, $6,084.37
- Jodi Richards, $4,835
- Denise Zubrod, $4,644.37
Top youth fundraisers
- Conor Walters, $3,284.37
- Keegan Jaeger, $1,099.75
- Wyatt Smith, $650
“Finally, all of the teams were incredible in their efforts, but this year’s top fundraising team was Team DFL, who raised $16,798, followed by Team Joyful at $12,191.55 and Brian Wilson Surf at $9,306,” the release states.
Each year, one member of the local community is selected as the recipient of the Michael Wells Inspirational Award, which is awarded at the top of the mountain to an individual who has supported, advocated, or represented CKF as well as the donation and transplantation community, according to the release. This year, the award was given in memory of Susie Budsey to Team Joyful.
“Susie was an incredible supporter of Summit for Life and the foundation since the beginning and always recruited a team to head up the hill each year,” the release states. “Her team was never missed with their coordinated pants and smiles as they headed up the hill. CKF was honored to celebrate Susie and recognize her as the 2024 Michael Wells Inspirational Award Honoree.”
The weekend began with packet pick up at the Aspen Square Hotel, where racers started the celebration by picking up their bibs and goodie bags. This year, the mountain was a trail of multicolored lights thanks to the support of the wonderful team at Nite Ize, the release states. Racers were also kitted out with Kahtoola Spikes to help them reach the top. DJ Tenza kicked the party off at the bottom, and Midnight Lightning welcomed them at the top.
“The Little Nell team had a sensational chili dinner awaiting every racer at the top, along with Paradise Bakery Cookies. Aspen Valley Hospital ensured all the racers were warm with their headbands, and the Duck Company made sure they looked fabulous in their custom Summit for Life shirts,” the release states. “The Aspen Snowmass team did a sensational job preparing the course for the athletes as they followed lanterns over the 3,267 vertical feet to the top. Six Productions had the start and finish lines partying all night long as racers reached the top over 3.5 hours. Deep River Snacks jazzed up the volunteer gear this year with beanies and vests, while Ritz Carlton Aspen Highlands presented each of the winners with their Winner’s jackets.”
Summit for Life helps raise funds for the Chris Klug Foundation to allow them to continue their lifesaving efforts nationwide. In 2024 alone, CKF has reached over 1.1 million individuals and has plans to reach even more in 2025.
“Currently, in the United States, 103,000 adults and children need a lifesaving transplant; meanwhile, only 48% say yes to help them by becoming organ donors,” the release states. “For every $1 raised at Summit for Life, CKF will reach two individuals and educate them about the importance of becoming an organ, eye, and tissue donor.”
To donate to the cause or learn more about the 17th annual Summit for Life, visit http://www.summitforlife.org or http://www.chrisklugfoundation.org.