Mad River Mountain, pro snowboarder hosting charity event this weekend

A snowboarder swishes down the slopes at Mad River Mountain earlier this month after it opened for season. The 14th annual Louie Vito Rail Jam for Charity will be held at Mad River on Saturday. Bill Lackey/Staff

A snowboarder swishes down the slopes at Mad River Mountain earlier this month after it opened for season. The 14th annual Louie Vito Rail Jam for Charity will be held at Mad River on Saturday. Bill Lackey/Staff

A charity snowboarding event hosted by an Olympian will be held at a local ski resort this weekend.

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The 14th annual Louie Vito Rail Jam for Charity will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Mad River Mountain, 1000 Snow Valley Road, Zanesfield.

Vito, a Bellefontaine native, is a professional snowboarder who has multiple U.S. Grand Prix championships. He also represented the United States in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. He also appeared on Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars.

To enter the rail jam — a competition where snowboarders jump up on to steel rails and other objects — participants must bring a canned food item, Mad River Mountain Marketing Director Michael Mihnovets said. All proceeds from the event will benefit St. Vincent De Paul in Bellefontaine, Mihnovets said.

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“It’s one of our largest events of the year,” he said.

Registration and practice will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be followed by an autograph session with Vito from 2 to 3 p.m. The competition will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for ages 10-and-up.

The competition is followed by an awards ceremony, live entertainment, including Columbus band SWAGG. Fireworks are expected to be held at about 9:30 p.m. It will also include free giveaways and large raffles, Mihnovets said.

About 200 people attended the event last year with about 80 people participating in the competition, Mihnovets said.

A full schedule can be found at skimadriver.com.

Photos: Scenes from Mad River Mountain - Springfield News-Sun

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