Loppets for LingYun - A Frigid Success!

Today I turn over blog posting chores to my wife, Molly. As a fellow skier and fund-raiser, she will give you a Loppets for LingYun update ... Rich
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Protection from the Weather!

Waiting for the Mora Vasaloppet to start, with the temperature at -13 F and “dangerous winds” producing a windchill of -40 F we wondered about the wisdom of skiing 35 kilometers under these conditions!  But the trick was in being prepared for the weather, wearing the right combination of layers, and covering every inch of exposed skin.  We were fortunate to have the knowledge and the means to outfit ourselves properly.  The result – successful completion of the race, staying warm through out the event, and suffering no lasting ill-effects, such as the frostbite suffered by other skiers.

Our real motivation, however, was thinking about the children in the dorm in LingYun.  Braving a few hours of adverse weather seemed small in comparison to the cold weather they face all winter long in an inadequate dorm building.  It brought to home the need for them to have their own protection from the weather on a daily basis.  With improved housing, the young students will be better prepared to benefit from their education as well.

Our Loppets for LingYun were extremely successful!  We owe a big thank you to all our donors, who brought our fundraising total up to $3,602 with this effort, toward our goal of $7,500 to build the new dorm. Please consider a pledge towards finishing the dorm. Send your pledge via email to Rich at rhoeg@comcast.net

I've added a few photos from Sunday, along with a slideshow ...

• Mora Vasaloppet Slideshow 
  (may take a moment to load)