After a VERY stressful Friday, the Cookson Snow Trek happened without much of a glich! I-70 and Berthoud Pass, the main roads going to the event, were closed most of the day on Friday due to snow and wind and it looked like we might have to change the date of the event so people could get there. I spent most of the day in tears trying to figure out what to do, but I also knew how much Kevin would have loved that it was snowing!! I even thought to myself that he planned that so everyone would have fresh snow to play in. The road finally did open at 635pm on Friday, so I was hopeful that the event could go on as scheduled. And luckily it did!!

I was there with a few friends to set up the day lodge at the ranch at 8am, with everyone else starting to arrive around 10am. We had fresh coffee, hot chocolate, snack food and lunch waiting for everyone when they got there. Some people lingered in the lodge for awhile before hitting the trails, others went straight out to enjoy all the fresh snow. People were cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or just playing in the snow. Devil's Thumb Ranch was just beautiful and the weather was great! The fresh snow made it that much more beautiful and that much more meaningful to me. Snow was Kevin's favorite thing. He was always so happy when it snowed and would get a huge smile on his face and say, "honey, snowing!!"

Around 2pm, it was time for the door prizes. There were lots of different door prizes from local stores and restaurants, tee shirts and water bottles, personal training sessions, a fly fishing excursion, and a Patagonia jacket. The community was very generous in their donations and I couldn't have been happier with all the door prizes I had to give away. Everyone was very excited and surprised!

Towards the end of the day, I decided to get on my cross country skis that Kevin had given me for Christmas years ago and enjoy the day and the memory of him. I thought the day would be sad and lonely, but it was so nice to be doing something in honor of him and to be getting the word out about Marfan syndrome. He would have loved the event, the food, the people, and the door prizes!!! I am sure he was there with me with a big smile on his face very proud of what I had done.

I never thought I could be someone who planned a fundraiser, but now I think this will be an annual event. Everyone had a great time! It gives me something to look forward to and makes me feel like I may be making a difference in someone else's life who may have Marfan syndrome. And, most importantly, I think it is something that Kevin would have loved and wanted me to continue.

I raised more than $3300 for the National Marfan Foundation and donations are still coming in! I call that a success!!

Special thanks to our Corporate Sponsors!

Whitewave/Horizon Dairy
Patagonia
Blue River Anglers
Strings Restaurant
Mountain Sun Restaurant
Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs
Christie Sports
The Appliance Warehouse
Watercourse Restaurant
Alex Gil (personal trainer) and RallySport
Serioz Pizza
Steuben's
Tattered Cover Bookstore

Only one more day until the fundraiser!!! I am excited and nervous at the same time. I think people always worry when they are putting on any kind of event. Especially one that is close to your heart. I am surprised that it is here so soon. It seems like yesterday I was still keeping it to myself as a dream in my head. I want to teach as many people as I can about Marfan Syndrome and I want for those people to teach other people. Who knows if I will do another fundraiser in my life, but I know that my family, and Kevin's family, are proud of me for putting this together; and I know that wherever Kevin is, he is proud of me, too. And that is all that really matters.

When I started the idea for this fundraiser, I never actually thought it would happen. Ever since Kevin died, I had been thinking about what I could do that would make him proud. I knew I wanted to raise money for the Marfan Foundation, but how does someone do that that knows nothing about fundraising? And how could I make it special for him? I didn't tell anyone I was going to do it initially. I had the idea for months before uttering a word to anyone. When I finally did, the pressure was on. Could I really do this? And now that I told people, how could I REALLY do this? I have had many freak outs, doubts, and sleepless nights thinking about how the event was actually going to happen. I think I was so worried thinking about if people would actually come, how I was going to get it all organized....and would people WANT to come. I decided today after giving the flier of the event to people that it didn't matter how many people come or how much money I make for the foundation. What matters is that I feel like Kevin would be thrilled that I am planning something that he loved and trying to get other people involved. He would love that others are even hearing about Marfan Syndrome and maybe even learning something about it and about him. In the end, it will be a great day with friends, and I will feel like I am celebrating his life...no matter how successful, or unsuccessful, the fundrasing part is. So, kids.....the fundraiser is on!!!!

Kevin's favorite thing to do was to ski. It didn't matter what kind of skiing he did, he just wanted to be out in the snow. He worked ski patrol at Sugarloaf in Maine for years and loved every second of it. He used to tell me stories about patrolling and get so excited that he helped someone on the mountain while he got to do what he loved most. He loved cross country skiing as well and used to race in high school. I will never forget the first day he taught me to cross county ski! I don't think he has ever laughed so hard at me! I was on the ground more than I was up, while he skated around me making it all look so simple. Being on skis was second nature to Kevin.

After he had his stroke, we never thought he would ski again. And in all honesty, he probably should not have. But, how do you keep someone off of skis who has it in his blood?! People who saw him ski after his stroke kept saying that it was like he was born to do it. He couldn't do all the stuff he used to on skis, but he could get down the mountain better than some people who had no disabilities. It made me cry the first time I saw him back on his skis. Me, the very overprotective girlfriend, who wanted to do anything I could for him not to get hurt, couldn't say no when he asked to ski. And believe me, I tried!

I was devastated when Kevin died, I still am. I don't think it is something you ever get over. I knew I wanted to do something to honor Kevin and I knew it had to have something to do with skiing. Kevin wanted people to know about Marfan Syndrome and he wanted people to understand what happened to him. I think part of that was him wanting people to know he was the same person he was before the disability, and part of it was that he didn't want other people to have to go through what he did. He wanted to make sure other people were educated about Marfan Syndrome in hopes of "saving" someone else.

So, I decided to have a fundraiser in honor of Kevin to benefit the National Marfan Foundation. On February 9, 2008, I am having a cross country ski and snowshoe event at a resort in Colorado called Devil's Thumb Ranch. It is a place where Kevin and I only went once, but it is a very good memory, and a day I know Kevin loved. He would love to have people together out in the snow on skis or snowshoes having fun and raising money for the foundation so that the education and research can continue on Marfan Syndrome. I only wish that he was here to do it with me.

I will continue to provide updates on the event as the date gets closer. You can find out more about the event at www.cooksonsnowtrek.com.

DIXMONT - Kevin Paul Cookson, 35, died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, while undergoing surgery. Kevin was born July 20, 1971, to Frank and Reta Cookson. Kevin attended Hampden Academy and Nokomis High School. Kevin loved the outdoors and spent summers rafting for Unicorn Expeditions and winters working at Sugarloaf Mountain. Kevin lived for the joy of being in nature. He loved skiing, hiking, recumbent biking, kayaking, traveling and animals. Any place he could be outside either alone, with friends, or his dog made him happy. Kevin had an incredibly positive outlook on life. He suffered a stroke and underwent heart surgery as a result of Marfan sydrome in January 2001. Despite predictions of being completely disabled, he amazed everyone by regaining his independence. He worked diligently at regaining his former strength and continued to pursue an active outdoor lifestyle. His courage and bravery enabled him to live the last six years with enthusiasm, confidence and independence. He never let his limitations affect his attitude, his relationships with others, or his love of life. Kevin was a very gregarious and lovable guy who made friends everywhere he went. He always had a smile on his face and a no worries attitude. He loved adventures and enjoyed hearing and telling great stories. He knew every hill and hollow in Dixmont and usually had a humorous anecdote for every adventure. Although he couldn't whitewater raft anymore, he still delighted in watching old videos of himself and his friends in the wildest rapids on the West branch of the Penobscot and he enjoyed going to the river to watch boats go through the rapids. Kevin started skiing in high school and it quickly became an all-consuming winter passion. Skiing was second nature to Kevin. He loved cross-country, downhill and telemark skiing. His enthusiasm for skiing influenced everyone he knew. Kevin reveled in every snowfall and could barely wait to get out in the storm. Kevin was a man of few words; specific tastes and was a confident decision-maker. He lived fearlessly and spent much of his time reassuring the women in his life that he was just fine. He was fiercely independent and took great pride in that fact. No walls could contain Kevin's spirit and he was constantly seeking new adventures in his life. The progression of Marfan syndrome caused Kevin to be hospitalized in December and require surgery. Kevin's miraculous ability to survive against all odds makes it difficult for us to believe that he is gone. We are all very shocked and saddened that Kevin is no longer with us. We have all learned something from Kevin throughout his life, especially the last six years. Kevin taught us all about true courage, kindness and optimism through his determination and good humor. Kevin was predeceased by his mother, Reta Cookson; and his brother, Rob Cookson. He is survived by his father and step-mother, Frank and Sheila Cookson of Dixmont; brother, David Cookson; sister, Diana Cookson; nieces and nephews, Ian Connole, Dylan Connole, Frank Cookson, Lauryl Cookson; his furry babies, Lily and Emma; his hiking partner, Sky; and his soulmate, Karen Singley. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Dixmont United Methodist Church. A reception will be held after at Kevin's family home, 4329 Kennebec Road, Dixmont.