'24 Hours' raises record $75,000
SANDPOINT — Every blazing lap was worth about $15, and he skied many of them at Schweitzer on Friday and Saturday.
Sandpoint’s Matt Gillis, bedecked in a blue vest and blue ski pants as he flew straight down the mountain, churned out a whopping 196 laps this weekend at 24 Hours of Schweitzer, a fundraiser for cystinosis.
Gillis, 25, edged Sandpoint’s Justin Anthony by two laps to win for the second straight year, but that was clearly secondary. What mattered most was that he single-handedly raised more than $3,000 to help find a cure for cystinosis, which afflicts Sandpoint’s Henry Sturgis, a 3-year-old for whom the event is held.
That feeling was driven home when an exhausted Gillis, after skiing laps nonstop for every single minute of the 24 hours, finally came to a stop in the village on Saturday morning and saw Sturgis.
“Hank is there and it hits you what you’re doing this for,” said Gillis, noting that his whole body felt like it had been squeezed in a vice after the race. “Twenty-four hours of pain for you doesn’t even resonate to the pain Hank goes through every day. The cause, what you’re there for … it’s pretty emotional. Hank is a special guy, and skiing for him is what drives me at 2 a.m.”
More than 150 skiers and snowboarders from around the region, many from Sandpoint, solicited pledges before taking part in the second annual event, which raised a record $75,000. Even 4-year-old Paige Dehart, the event’s youngest participant, got in on the act, churning out 30 laps of her own. Sandpoint’s Rick Orchard was the top fundraiser, generating a gaudy $3,200 for his efforts.
Sandpoint’s Emily Querna was the top female finisher with 182 laps, followed by Angie Quinn (174) and Emilie Kuster (174). Many of the skiers would have family or friends hand them food and clothing at the bottom of the chair, so they wouldn’t have to stop.
“You have guys that are racers, and others here for fun,” said Jennifer Hille, who came from Portland for the event. “Everybody is here for the cause, and it’s a great feeling.”
Gillis teamed with locals Jordan Wahlin (160), Zack Nees (186) and Bryce Kliewer (186) to help Mickduffs/Advanced PT claim the four-person team relay title, 77 laps more than the next closest. The three-person relay champs were Team Peanut Brittle, led by Chuy Fragoso (172), Eric Morgan (172) and Alex Wohllaib (123), and the two-person team champs were the Quinn Sisters, Angie Quinn (174) and Korah Quinn (134).
All told, 10,789 runs were made and 12 million vertical feet — or 2,266 miles — was skied by downhillers, telemarkers and snowboarders alike. Gillis, who listened to “everything from Eminem to Led Zeppelin” on his iPod, accounted for 207,236 of the feet on his own, falling four laps short of his pre-race goal of 200 laps.
“I’d like to thank everybody who volunteered or donated or participated,” said Gillis, whose strategy was to keep his head down and not look back. “The lifties who were up all night, the ski patrol, just all the people that played a role.”
Tricia Sturgis, Hank’s mother and one of the event organizers, was thrilled with how well things went.
“It’s overwhelming to have so much support; overwhelming in a good way,” she said, lauding the efforts of the participants and the 50 volunteers. “I was amazed by how many people were skiing for the whole 24 hours — some non-stop, some on and off — and how many were trying to beat their personal best records. The dedication by everyone to the event was so heart-warming.”
All proceeds benefit 24 Hours for Hank, a local nonprofit foundation established to help find a cure for this extremely rare, genetic disease that eventually destroys the organs in the body.
Donations are still being accepted and can be made online or via the mail. For more information, call (208) 610-2131 or visit www.24hoursforhank.org.
Plans are already under way for the next fundraiser, the “24 Hours for Hank Road Ride” bike relay event, set for Sept. 11-12, in Sandpoint.
For complete results of all the skiers and their laps, go online to www.milliseconds.com.