This site was conceived after asking a close friend of Jimmie’s for help and getting no response.  The first thought that popped into my head was “What would Jimmie do?”  He wouldn’t give up.  He would change the world through simple acts and contributions that inspired others.

So that is what we hope to do here.  We will sell (helmet) stickers for donations at upcoming events...each resort that participates will have stickers mailed to them.  If they all sell 1,000 we will raise enough money to fund over 150 scholarships to the MSCanDo programs for participants and their spouses.  This years sticker was designed by Donna Brosh at Mountain Sky in Sandpoint, ID.

 If you don’t know about Jimmie Heuga, he was an Olympic Medalist who had his skiing career cut short by a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.  The “treatment” at the time was to rest and avoid strenuous activity to conserve energy.  So he sat inactive (resting as he was told to) for a few months,  getting weaker and more frustrated.  As a world class athlete, Jimmie bucked the advice and turned the “authorities”, and the world,  on its ear by beginning a vigorous workout program that he maintained until his last days.

More importantly his work funds scholarships that allow people who have Multiple Sclerosis and their families to attend educational workshops which help them deal with the challenges Multiple Sclerosis presents.

There are many causes and great people supporting them.  Knowing that his foundation would be better served in the long run, Jimmie changed the name from the Heuga Foundation to MSCanDo so that fostering health (should a successful treatment/cure be found for MS) would remain the goal of the foundation.  Their goal:  to promote good health and empowered living.

Jimmie was only 5’6” and 140 pounds, which is a HUGE disadvantage in skiing.  There is an old saying “mass x wax=speed”  which means that the bigger you are and the better your wax, the faster you go.  He lacked physical stature but not presence.  Jimmie overcame obstacles his entire life and I never once heard him complain. 

 

So please help us to honor his memory by donating your time and or dollars to support a great cause at...

                https://www.active.com/donate/VEMSschweitzer10/whatwouldjimmiedo