Aspen, CO - Summit for Life is a weekend of activities promoting awareness and education of organ and tissue donation that is centered around an uphill snowshoe race on Aspen Mountain. The uphill race December 6 and the weekend of activities all benefit the Chris Klug Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2004 to promote lifesaving donation and improve quality of life for donors, donor families, organ transplant candidates and recipients. Founder Chris Klug is a liver transplant recipient (July 2000) and the first-ever transplant recipient Olympic Medalist (Salt Lake City, Utah 2002, Snowboarding). He continues to race on the FIS Snowboarding World Cup Tour, and he participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics.




There will be two different start times for the race this year: 5:15 p.m., for climbers who anticipate taking longer than two hours to reach the top or for first-timers or hikers that want to take their time, and 6:00 p.m. for climbers who anticipate finishing in under two hours. Racers will climb 3,267 vertical feet over 2.5 miles from the base of Aspen Mountain to the Sundeck on top. Racers of all ages and ability levels are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be given to the top three men and women finishers and the top team. Awards will also be issued to the top three fundraisers. The cost to register is $40 prior to December 5 and $50 the day of the race.

Almost 97,000 people are waiting for a life-saving donation. One donor can provide organs to save eight peoples' lives and can provide tissues to increase the well-being of up to 100 recipients, according to the Chris Klug Foundation.