YOUR AD HERE »

Vail Valley Charitable Fund cancels annual LG Tri

The organization is still hosting a fun run and celebration to honor Laura Genelin’s legacy

The Genelin family (pictured here) helped start the LG Tri 14 years ago to honor the legacy of Laura Genelin, who passed away in July of 2008 from colon cancer.
Vail Valley Charitable Fund/Courtesy Photo

The Vail Valley Charitable Fund is cancelling its 14th annual LG Tri due to complications with logistics.

The annual triathlon race was set to take place Saturday, July 9. However, the swim element was scheduled to take place at the Eagle Pool and with Mountain Recreation’s recent closure of the pool for the summer due to a recently discovered leak, the race has been cancelled altogether.

According to Vail Valley Charitable Fund’s Executive Director Brooke Skjonsby, the pool being closed was a “driving force,” despite Mountain Rec doing “everything in their willpower to change this unforeseen outcome.”



Terri Hanley Reichert, the Vail Valley Charitable Fund’s marketing specialist, said that while the organization considered “retooling it to be a biathlon or some other race,” there were concerns it wouldn’t be able to re-plan it in time in a manner that was safe for both the adults and children competing in the event.

This race was started 14 years ago in memory of Laura Genelin, who passed away in July 2008 from colon cancer. Not only was Genelin an “avid triathlete, perfect competitor and positive person,” but she and her family received funds from the Vail Valley Charitable Fund during her battle with cancer, Hanley Reichert said.

Support Local Journalism




Vail Valley Charitable Fund awards grants to individuals in medical crisis to help with medical and living costs. In order to pay forward the gift Genelin received, her family and friends started the triathlon to benefit the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, with the proceeds going directly to grants for families who need it.

And while the triathlon itself is unable to go on this year, the foundation is ensuring that the spirit of the event, and Genelin’s legacy, live on.

“We are accepting that some things are out of our control and pushing forward,” Skjonsby said. “There isn’t a force in this world that could prevent us from celebrating the vibrant soul of Laura Genelin — whom we intend to continue to honor with this special event.”

Now, the organization will be hosting a celebration and 5K fun run on Friday, July 8, starting at 5 p.m. at the Eagle Ice Rink outdoor arena. In addition to the fun run, there will be live music, pizza, beer, stories, a silent auction and more. The Vail Valley Charitable Fun asks that community members join in the festivities and consider making a $20 donation to the fund.

“We feel like we can do this really well because it will have a very celebration feel to the night,” Hanley Reichert said. “We hope we can appeal to everyone and make it what it should be.”

To learn more, visit LGTri.com or VVCF.org


Support Local Journalism