ADDING MULTIMEDIA: Father Remembers Daughter, a Summer and Winter Paralympic Medal Winner, with Bronze Statue in Snowmass Village, Colorado

Mike Dunne Created Statue to Inspire Others by Cara Dunne-Yates Legacy
DENVER--(Business Wire)--
Mike Dunne, father of Cara Dunne-Yates, remembers his daughter on Father`s Day
2009 with the future dedication of a bronze statue in Snowmass Village,
Colorado. Late scholar Cara Dunne-Yates was an influential athlete, public
speaker and mentor who motivated others to overcome their own life challenges.
Her legacy will be honored in August when the statue is placed at the base of
Snowmass Ski Area.

Dunne-Yates won medals at both the summer games in Atlanta and winter games in
Innsbruck, a feat accomplished by few Paralympic or Olympic athletes. Sadly, her
life was cut short in 2004 from cancer at the age of 34.

Dunne-Yates` father is sharing his daughter`s story of courage and determination
so others are motivated by it. He funded the statue project with an
invitation-only fundraising campaign for those who supported her in life and
wanted to keep her memory alive. More than 200 donors responded with more than
$70,000 in four years.

Dunne-Yates is remembered as an outstanding athlete and scholar who helped found
Challenge Aspen, an organization providing adaptive sports programs that teach
people with disabilities like hers to ski, cycle, raft and hike, along with
other activities.

"My daughter was an incredible athlete who won medals for Alpine ski racing and
tandem cycling in the Paralympic summer and winter games," said Mike Dunne.
"Cara survived many challenges in life, but never let anything stop her drive to
accomplish great things. She was an inspiration to everyone who met her."

Dunne-Yates is remembered as an influential person who increased opportunities
for disabled individuals. Despite the loss of both eyes from cancer at age five,
Dunne-Yates graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a degree in
East Asian studies and economics and served as class president in 1992.
Dunne-Yates`s high academic goals motivated her to complete a law degree from
UCLA Law School in 1997. She received many awards including the United States
Association of Blind Athletes 1997 Female of the Year and the Gene Autry Courage
Award for showing heroism amid adversity.

Sculptor Jerry Snodgrass was so taken by Dunne-Yates` story that he reduced his
fee significantly to create her statue. The piece contains Braille messages on
the statue`s jacket and lower right pant leg to allow blind individuals to view
the statue`s meaning. Mike Dunne also included some personal memories, including
one of his daughter`s favorite sayings: "Get up, get out." There are four
plaques adorning each side of the base, including one for 106 Harvard donors and
another for 102 additional donors.

To find out more about Dunne-Yates, see Mike and Cara`s "tandem" father and
daughter photo and poem duos or learn more about Challenge Aspen visit
www.challengeaspen.org/tandem.

About Challenge Aspen

Established in 1995, Challenge Aspen provides adaptive recreational, cultural
and competitive opportunities to thousands of individuals with disabilities from
around the world. Based in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, Challenge Aspen is an
internationally established charitable organization.

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http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5984361&lang=en.

Challenge Aspen
Mike Dunne, 303-885-3841
mjdunnellc2@msn.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009