Annual event raises more than $88,000 for CVA scholarships

CARRBASSETT VALLEY — Carrabassett Valley Academy raised more than $88,000 for its scholarship fund at its annual scholarship event last month, despite rain.

Members of the community, as well as alumni, pitched in to help at the fundraiser, according to a news release from the school.

“Past students who have gone on to pursue their passions, and find tremendous success, were eager to help in whatever ways they could,” the release said. “Alums-turned-entrepreneurs provided auction items, including a custom Amalgam ski package, Winterstick snowboard, Buck Product Knappsacks, a Ski Butlers package, and a Sugarloaf Aviation package.”

The release said the scholarship event is “critical for CVA to remain true to the mission the founders set forth nearly 40 years ago, to make CVA available to deserving student athletes, nationally, internationally and perhaps most importantly, locally.”

Kate O’Halloran, the school’s director of development, said, “We continue to be humbled by the incredible generosity of the Carrabassett Valley community, our partners and supporters at Sugarloaf, and all of those who contribute to our success year after year. It’s been a fantastic year for fundraising at CVA – completion of the new Alfond Competition Center at Sugarloaf, meeting a challenge match to eliminate construction debt on our Academic Center, and now our Scholarship event. We hope everyone knows how powerful their support is, it can literally change lives, and is doing just that!”

The $10,000 Grand Prize winner was Stephen Colbert of Wellesley, Mass., whose son Christopher is in his first year in the CVA Snowboard Weekend Program.