FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jessie Diggins Fundraiser Dinner Nov 9th

Event

The Chilkoot Café and Cyclery in Stillwater is once again hosting a fund raiser dinner for Olympian, World Champion and US Ski Team member, Jessie Diggins, on November 9th at 6PM. The cost for dinner is $100, all proceeds of which go directly to Jessie to support training and racing expenses. In addition to an evening of wonderful food and great race stories from Jessie, Jessie will be auctioning off some Olympic gear. All proceeds form the auction will go to the National Nordic Foundation, to support junior skiers who qualify for international and national racing and training opportunities. Call for more information or to reserve your spot at the Chilkoot Café, 651-342-0429.

Background

Last year, Jessie and her US Ski Team teammates had another exciting year. Jessie recorded the highest ever finish for a US Woman in an Olympic distant event with her 8th place in the 15km continuous pursuit. The US women scored another World Cup bronze in the 4x5km relay in Lillehammer and Jessie finished the grueling Tour De Ski in 13th place. All this on top of Jessie and Kikkan Randall’s World Championship gold, won during the 2012-13 season.

Jessie starts her 4th year as a US Ski Team member on a strong foundation and as a leader instead of as a youngster. When asked about her success, Jessie credits the strong emotional and financial support she receives from the dedicated Midwest community, a group that has a long tradition of supporting active kids and of embracing the joys of winter sport. Jessie’s appreciation for this support has long been reflected in the time and effort she devotes to doing clinics with Midwest high school training groups, writing blogs for the MN Youth Ski League and leading Fast&Female clinics around the world. Since her early days as a MN high school skier, it’s part of Jessie’s style to always extend a hand to help others.

This year, as Jessie prepares for her 5th season of racing in Europe, she wants to develop another avenue to give back. Jessie will be auctioning off some of her Olympic gear at her fund raiser. Jessie will donate all proceeds from the auction to the National Nordic Foundation. The money will go to reduce the cost for talented US junior skiers to participate in international racing events (e.g. World Juniors, Scando Cup) and national training camps (e.g. REGs). This financial assistance will help US juniors take XC ski racing to the next level. “Growing up in the Midwest, I see such a strong pipeline for junior athletes. We’ve got programs like MYSL for young kids and lots of fantastic high school and club teams for older juniors. The NNF is the next part of that pipeline, creating the means for junior skiers to step onto the world racing scene. I’ve had so much support from my Midwest community; this is a good way for me to support others who have the same dreams and goals that I do,” says Jessie.

Please consider supporting Jessie by purchasing a $100 ticket and enjoying a great dinner at Chilkoot Café and Cyclery on November 9th. At the event, please consider making a bid on Jessie’s Olympic donations to support the NNF so we can help make the dreams of the next generation of junior skiers a reality. Call for more information or to reserve your spot by calling the Chilkoot Café at 651-342-0429.