In what has become a well-loved tradition for a good cause, Protiviti Denver recently participated in its 12th consecutive year in Hope on the Slopes. Hosted in Breckenridge, Colorado, Hope on the Slopes is a day-long skiing and snowboarding fundraising event that benefits the American Cancer Society.
Protiviti friends, family and alumni gathered from near and far – with one employee driving all the way from Tampa, Florida – to compete in the days’ ski challenges, despite the unseasonable sub-five degree weather.
Nearly 100 participants raised a collective $26,000. Our Protiviti teams, one of which was made up entirely of alumni, raised almost $9,000 (company fund matches are still ongoing).
Protiviti Alum, Marie McGillivray has been involved since the start. She was one of the original organizers in the company’s first year participating in the event and was a volunteer lead for Protiviti for eight years. Although she left the company last spring, she returned as the alumni team’s captain this year.
When asked why she continues to dedicate so much time and effort to the event every year, she said, “Cancer is something that has touched everyone. I lost my father to brain cancer when I was 20. Very shortly after that, I lost more friends and family to cancer. I’m a Colorado native, and my dad and I did everything outdoors [before he passed away]. This is a way for me to pay tribute to him and help prevent others from experiencing the loss of a loved one.”
Hope on the Slopes is similarly meaningful to others in our Protiviti community too. Amy LaComb, another Denver alumna, survived ovarian cancer as a teenager and went on, despite the odds, to have three children. Describing her story as inspiring, Marie says the room erupted when it was announced that Amy was the top individual fundraiser for this year. And, she brought up her three kids to enjoy the moment with her.
Over the years, stories like these have inspired other Protiviti offices.
In California, for example, there wasn’t an official Hope on the Slopes event, but that didn’t stop Protiviti San Francisco. Now in its second year, the Bay Area team hosts a Hope on the Slopes event at Heavenly in Tahoe with all funds benefiting the American Cancer Society. This year, 25 participants raised over $5,000 (excluding company matches which are still ongoing), far exceeding their fundraising goal of $2,000. Protiviti Seattle also participated in the event for the first time this year. Their team of ten also surpassed their target goal by raising $1,300!
