About 45 tree-fruit industry members from throughout Washington State were at Mission Ridge, near Wenatchee, last weekend (March 9) for the first of what is likely to be an annual Tree Fruit Ski Day.

The event raised more than $2,500 for the Doug Zahn memorial scholarship, which is managed by Washington Apple Education Foundation. Zahn, an orchardist at Pateros, Washington, died in 2001. He was a board member of the Washington Growers Clearing House Association for more than 30 years and served as president. He was also a life-long skier and helped develop the Loop Loop Ski Bowl near Okanogan.

Skiers at Tree Fruit Day received cut-price lift tickets and ski rentals, free ski tips from instructors, and a sponsored lunch.

Dan Kelly, assistant manager at the Washington Growers Clearing House Association, which organized the event, said a second Tree Fruit Day is tentatively planned a year from now at White Pass, Washington.