Lee Canyon race raises donor awareness, honors Chris Ruby legacy

Lee Canyon hosted the 11th Annual Chris Ruby Memorial Cup on Friday, December 12, 2025, bringing skiers and snowboarders together for a community race that supports organ donation awareness. Organizers said proceeds benefit the Nevada Donor Network and that registration fees were set at 20 dollars, with fees waived for current organ donors and for people who completed donor registration at the event. The event continues a local tradition dedicated to the organ donation legacy of Chris Ruby.

The Memorial Cup is billed as a family friendly competition and community gathering. Over its run the race has contributed to what organizers describe as thousands of donor registrations inspired by the event, a scale of public response that has practical consequences for health systems in Nevada. Local officials and public health organizations monitor donor registration levels as part of broader organ transplant readiness and community health planning. Events like this one operate at the intersection of recreation, nonprofit fundraising, and public outreach, driving volunteer activity and one on one conversations that standard communications campaigns may not reach.

For Nye County residents the race reinforced two local priorities. First, it served as a tangible driver of civic engagement by turning recreation into a pathway for registration and volunteer recruitment. Second, it supported institutional capacity at the Nevada Donor Network, where increased registrations can influence resource allocation and outreach strategies across the state. County health officials advising on public education and emergency services track such events when assessing community awareness and planning for transplant related needs.

The Memorial Cup also offers a model for local organizations seeking to pair charity fundraising with measurable community outcomes. Organizers provided online registration and donation links through Lee Canyon and the Nevada Donor Network for residents who could not attend. As Nye County evaluates its public health outreach, the continued popularity of the Chris Ruby Memorial Cup underscores how grassroots events can contribute to statewide organ donation goals while strengthening civic participation at the local level.