Mammoth Lakes, CA – A memorial for 1952 Olympic double gold medalist Andrea Mead Lawrence will be held at the Main Lodge of California’s Mammoth Mountain ski area from 6 to 8 p.m. this Sunday. Lawrence, one of the nation’s greatest Olympic champions, passed away in Mammoth Lakes last week at the age of 76.

The memorial will be held on what would have been Lawrence’s 77th birthday in the Mountain Conference Center of the Main Lodge.

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

“Andrea Mead Lawrence was one of the most respected champions of all time,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. “As a teenager, she led by her example of perseverance in never giving up. Nearly a half century later, she remains a distinguished role model for today’s athletes.”

In honor of Lawrence, donations can be made to the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers (ALIMAR), 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 www.alimar.org.

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