Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Memorial is Sunday for Andrea Mead Lawrence

At Mammoth Mountain

---

A memorial for 1952 Olympic double gold medalist Andrea Mead Lawrence will be held on Sunday, April 19 at Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge in California from 6-8 p.m., according to a press release from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Lawrence, one of the nation's greatest Olympic champions, passed away in Mammoth Lakes, CA, March 31 at 76. The memorial will be held on what would have been Lawrence's 77th birthday. It will be held in the Mountain Conference Center of the main lodge.

A three-time Olympian, Lawrence pushed the U.S. into the spotlight as an alpine power against the traditional Europeans and Scandinavians, winning two gold medals in the 1952 Winter Games in Oslo.

"Andrea Mead Lawrence was one of the most respected champions of all time," said USSA president and CEO Bill Marolt.

In honor of Lawrence, donations can be made to the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers, a non-profit organization she established. ALIMAR established a planning forum to identify key environmental challenges confronting the Eastern Sierra Nevada where Lawrence has lived for many years.

Donations can be made to PO Box 100, PMB 334, Mammoth Lakes, Ca. 93546 or at alimar.org.

ALIMAR is also gathering stories, tributes, and photos of Lawrence to create a publication honoring her life. Submissions may be sent to honoringaml@alimar.org.