Scholarship ski race set

Vernon — Mountain Creek along with the Chad Eyster Memorial Scholarship Fund at Vernon Township High School will be sponsoring the 9th annual Chad’s Birthday Bash Giant Slalom Ski Race on Wednesday, Feb. 19. This event is open to the public and both skiers and snowboarders are welcome to race. Registration will take place in the race office located in Cobblestone Village beginning at 1 p.m. with the race starting at 5 p.m. The entry fee for the race is $20 for those with season passes, or $40 with a lift ticket included. There are both men’s and women’s categories with the following age group ranges: 8-12 years, 13-15 years, 16-29 years, and 30-up. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 entrants and all entrants are invited to a post race party in the Appalachian. Medals will be awarded to the first three finishers in each age group while other prizes, including ski gloves, ski socks, a boot bag, a DVD player and much more will be awarded by bib drawing. Over the past nine years the scholarship fund has awarded a total of $25,500 in scholarship monies to a total of 51 seniors at various high schools. Last year’s recipients of scholarships included Keith Vella, Amanda Malkin, Ashley Kraus, Flora Yousefi, Elise Fugowski, and Kelsey Brilakis. Scholarships are awarded to seniors at Vernon High School who participate in any sport or are a member of the band, and complete the scholarship application form. These individuals must be hard workers who put their “all” into their school work. Financial need is also an important consideration for winning one of the scholarships. Chad Eyster was a member of the class of 2001 at Vernon High School, but died suddenly on Easter Monday, April 13, 1998, his freshman year. He was 15. While in school he participated as a member of the ski team, the marching band, the musical orchestra, the International Society, the cross-country team and the track-and-field team. His love was skiing, and this ski event as well as the scholarship fund, are planned to honor Chad’s memory. Many local businesses are helping to sponsor the race this year. They include Mountain Creek, McAfee Ski & Snowboard, the Vernon High School ski team, the Vernon High School band, the Pope John High School ski team, Drs. Saluja, Dr. Sandra Squires, GEB Services, MP Auto Body, A Cut Above, Hamburg Veterinary Clinic, Ziegler Dance Centre, Brothers Pizza, RS Phillips Steel & Aluminum, Coldwell Bankers Residential Brokerage, Place By The Tracks, Ron Uryniak CPA, Smith Limousine, Ryder Landscape & Design, OnLine Embroidery, Drs. Tauber & Sciascia, Advanced Signs & Graphix by Winzer, The Vernon Inn, Valley Vision Care, Walnut Ridge School Faculty & Staff, Rolling Hills School Faculty & Staff, Cedar Mountain School Faculty & Staff, Lounsberry Hollow Middle School Faculty & Staff, Glen Meadow Middle School Faculty & Staff, and Vernon High School Faculty & Staff. To make a donation to the Chad Eyster Scholarship Fund, which is registered as a New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation, send it to either Vernon Township Board of Education Office, 539 Route 515, P.O. Box 99, Vernon or to 39 Evergreen Road, Sussex.