The Beginning of "I Slide 4 Nodar"

Dear Friends, fellow athletes past and present and colleagues,

Many of you were as heartbroken and stunned as I was when we learned of the tragic death of Georgian Luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili. His tragic accident sent shock waves not only through our own small family of athletes but to the entire world and especially to his family and community.

Words cannot describe how much we wish to help and support his family at this time and for the future. As the mother of a small son I can't imagine how awful it must be for his family. I kept asking myself what could I do to help. Then the US Luge Association sent me a link to an auction to help raise money for the Kumaritashvili family. I thought that was a great idea but, sadly I was out bid. Then, I looked at all the other bidders that lost as well and thought . . . look at all these people who would donate that much money, what if there was still a way they could do that?

I found a local (to Vermont) company that is set up for taking donations, handling all the credit cards etc and distributing the funds to whomever we ask them to. So, I began "I Slide 4 Nodar" as a way to honor his life, keep his spirit among us in a positive way, and hopefully set us a lasting and concrete fund for the Kumaritashvili family.

How you can help - is to spread the word, grab the logo and put it on your profile, buy the stickers that will soon be made and put it on your sled (whether your sled is a luge, bobsled, skeleton, or the kind that strap to your feet, or goes with a motor). We can all be Sliders now for a very good cause and of course the best way to help is to donate on InLu.com to his fund - found below.
http://www.inlu.com/registry?key=1AVQKDS3QG666

Thanks so much for reading.
Best wishes,
Cynthea Wight Hausman