The fundraiser is the brainchild of Olympic luge silver medalist Gordy Sheer, director of marketing and sponsorship at USA Luge in Lake Placid. He hopes the event will raise over $40,000.

“USA Luge is very excited to announce the ninth edition of the Running of the Balls. This marks the first fundraising event in Lake Placid since the passing of Dmitry Feld (USA Luge marketing manager), who was key to making ROTB the success that it has become,” Sheer said in a press release. “USA Luge does four things: We recruit, develop, train and support athletes to represent our nation at luge races around the world, including the Olympic Games. All funds raised go to support those core activities. We will carry Dmitry’s spirit with us for this and all future events.”

Feld was a staple of the Lake Placid community. Among many other things, he was the president of the Shipman Youth Center board and co-organizer of the annual I Love BBQ and Music Festival, which accounted for a third of the center’s annual budget.

The race on April 6 will take place after the Norton Youth National Championships. Entrants can purchase as many balls as they want, with the chance to win cash and USA Luge prizes. The top 10 finishers and last-place finisher will receive prizes in the running of yellow and white balls, priced at $10 each or three for $25. Blue lacrosse balls will race down the track simultaneously, which cost $30 each. The winner of the blue race will win a trip to the luge World Championship event in Whistler, British Columbia, in January 2025, including airfare, lodging and ground transportation.

To enter, visit the Running of the Balls page on the USA Luge website.

The deadline to purchase balls is noon Thursday, April 4. The running will be aired and winners will be announced on usaluge.org on April 7.