THE NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER FOR THE DISABLED
Top Disabled Athletes and Denver Celebrities Hit The Ski Clopes Together For The 31st Annual Wells Fargo Bank Cup

Winter Park, Colorado - February 20, 2006 - Annual Wells Fargo Bank Cup returns to Winter Park Resort, Feb. 24-26, 2006. The event will bring world-class disabled ski racers, Denver celebrities, and amateur skiers of all abilities together for a ski-racing weekend that is one of the largest fundraiser of the year for the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).

For the sixth consecutive year, competitors in the event's pro am race - The Frontier Cup can compile their own teams of five friends, family members or co-workers to compete for guts, glory and cash prizes on Saturday, Feb. 25. Twenty-seven teams of amateur skiers or snowboarders will take to the slopes, each with the help of a professional disabled racer and coaching from a team owner. Frontier Cup competitors can be of any skiing ability; a timing run will add a numerical factor to every racer's time and enable casual weekend skiers to compete against more aggressive skiers with racing experience.

One of the highlights of the Wells Fargo Bank Cup weekend is the sixth World Disabled Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 26. The Invitational is the only race in which disabled skiers compete head-to-head on parallel courses, a format used only in professional ski racing events. The start wands open according to a factor determined by each skier's disability, so certain racers are delayed at the start and have to "catch" their competitor on the course. The Wells Fargo Bank Cup expects a showing of the world's best disabled ski racers, vying for the event's $13,450 purse.

The third race of the Wells Fargo Bank Cup teams local celebrities including Denver Broncos alumni with up-and-coming racers from the Winter Park Disabled Ski Team on Saturday, Feb. 25. With KCNC News4 sports anchor, Steve Atkinson as the emcee, The Denver Post Celebrity Challenge is expected to be one of the most entertaining events of the weekend. This year, Denver celebrities, including media representatives from Channel 4, 9, 7, WB2 and Fox News and Denver Bronco alumni will make their way down a race course, competing for guts, glory and bragging rights.

A silent auction on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 25, has become one of the more anticipated highlights of the Bank Cup for all participants. The auction offers more than 350 items, including sporting goods, autographed memorabilia, artwork and exciting trips.

The 31st Annual Wells Fargo Bank Cup is expected to raise more than $200,000 for the NSCD. The NSCD began in 1970 as a ski program for children with amputations. It now offers close to 20 winter and summer programs and teaches more than 17,000 lessons annually to children and adults with disabilities.

Wells Fargo, along with its predecessor banks, has been the title sponsor of the Wells Fargo Bank Cup for the event's entire history. Its support of this annual fundraising event-through a monetary donation as well as countless volunteer hours-reflects Wells Fargo Bank's strong commitment to be actively involved in the communities it serves.

To compile a team for the Wells Fargo Bank Cup, or for more information, contact the National Sports Center for the Disabled at (303) 293.5317 or cell (720) 323 8136.

###