Five-hundred-mile Colorado Trail hike to raise funds for CMC scholarship endowment

The Fred Hampel Memorial Scholarship Endowment will support bachelor’s degree students

Fred Hampel was just 56 last year when he died March 3 of cancer. Among many compelling career paths, Hampel was on the business faculty at Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs and was among those instrumental in bringing bachelor’s degrees to CMC.

Hampel’s legacy continues. Last summer, supporters established the Fred Hampel Memorial Scholarship Endowment, raising over $35,000 in Hampel’s honor. The endowment will support CMC students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at any of the college’s 11 campuses.

With a goal of $50,000 total, Fred’s widow Leslee and a group of friends are now embarking on a 500-mile fundraising hike of the Colorado Trail. Beginning March 3 – the one-year anniversary of Fred’s passing – the group took the first ceremonial steps of their hiking adventure, surrounded by high-altitude snow fields.

On April 17, the run/hike starts up again in earnest and will be completed in sections with a finish date planned at the end of the summer. The group is asking both individuals and businesses to support the endowment through donations and sponsorship.

For information on the Fred Hampel Memorial Scholarship Endowment, the Colorado Trail run/hike, and how to follow the group’s progress, contact Amy Stern at Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs, at alstern@coloradomtn.edu, 970-870-4407, and Fred Hampel/CMC Colorado Trail fundraiser.  To donate, visit Fred Hampel Memorial Scholarship Endowment.