(Artwork | Courtesy of MBSEF)
The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) announced today it will name its new facility after Bill Healy, the legendary community leader and ski enthusiast who founded Mt. Bachelor ski resort in 1958.
This announcement follows a pledge of $750,000 from the Healy Foundation in support of MBSEF’s A Place to Soar capital campaign to construct its new permanent home site and training center at 2765 NW Lolo Drive, in Bend. When complete, The Bill Healy Training Center will be a hub for hundreds of Central Oregon youth pursuing personal growth through winter sports.
The pledged contribution from the Healy Foundation brings MBSEF within $1 million of its $4 million campaign goal to build its first permanent home. Construction of the new 9,700-square-foot facility is expected to begin later this year. “We are grateful to the Healy Foundation for this incredible gift,” says MBSEF Executive Director John Schiemer. “For a true pioneer, a visionary who helped inspire regional passion for winter sports, naming our new center after Bill Healy is a fitting way to honor his work and legacy.”
Bill Healy was born in Portland and moved to Bend in 1950 to run his family’s furniture store. He served in the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army in WWII and saw combat at age 21 in Italy’s northwest Apennine Mountains. After moving to Bend, he became active in the Skyliners Ski Club, which ultimately integrated into what is now known as Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, or MBSEF. Bill and a few other avid skiers began pursuing the dream of opening a ski resort on Mt. Bachelor. In 1958, Bill raised $75,000 to start Mount Bachelor, Inc., and the rest is history. Today, Mt. Bachelor is a world class ski resort, offering 4,318 acres of lift-accessible terrain for people seeking the joy and adventure of mountain sports.
“The Healy Foundation is very proud to support the future evolution of MBSEF while honoring the legacy of my father. I know Bill Healy is smiling!” says Cameron Healy, board president, The Healy Foundation.
“I think Bill would be so pleased to know the vision he had over 60 years ago just continues to grow,” says longtime MBSEF Coach and friend of the Healy family Frank Cammack. “He would be proud to be part of a facility that will enrich the lives of regional youth through winter sports.”
