Stowe, VT (Sunday, July 14, 2002) - The Vermont Ski Museum this week announced that it will hold its Grand Opening on August 16 & 17, 2002.

On Friday, August 16, Andrea Mead Lawrence, the first Vermonter to win an Olympic Gold Medal and still the only U.S. Alpine skier to ever win two Gold Medals in the same Winter Olympics, will return to her native Vermont to cut the ribbon and begin the festivities. Lawrence, now living in California, will later be the first inductee to the Vermont Ski Hall of Fame to be housed in the Museum. The opening celebration includes celebrities like Doug Lewis and will continue on Saturday, August 17, with Museum tours and family events.

“We couldn’t be more excited about having Andrea here for our Grand Opening,” said Dot Helling, Executive Director of the Museum. “She is the subject of our logo, and an icon of Vermont skiing.” Museum volunteers have been working during the past two years to raise funds, renovate the building, develop exhibits and bring together many resources to create this showplace of Vermont skiing history. The Museum, located at One Main Street in the Village of Stowe, opened to the public with limited exhibits on July 4.

The Vermont Ski Museum, originally located in Brandon and Mendon, Vermont, was relocated to Stowe to offer a larger facility and increased access to Vermont visitors. The Museum will house permanent and changing exhibits, be available for research, and serve as an education resource. Ongoing presentations and lectures are also planned. A profile on the Vermont Ski Museum was included in our 2002 story on Stowe in First Tracks!! Online.