Birkebeiner entries go up for auction
The Wisconsin Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will auction 20 entries in the 2012 American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet, starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The MS Society has been a primary charity partner of the Birkie since 2009, when Norwegian skier Bjorn Daehlie served as an MS ambassador and led the drive to raise money for the cause. Daehlie's mother has MS and the Olympian sought treatment counsel from Ian Duncan, a professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and lead researcher studying the use of cell transplants to repair nerve fibers damaged by MS.
That connection led to Daehlie's entry in the 2009 race.
Continuing the partnership between the Birkie and the charity, all proceeds from the entry auction will benefit the MS society.
Details can be found on the Birkie website, but the key points are these: the bidding starts at $150, and bids will be made via email. The address will be posted on the Birkie website Wednesday morning.
The auction ends at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 21.
Demand for entries to the Birkebeiner, one of the largest Nordic ski events in the world, hit a record level this year. All 9,000 slots in the full Birkebeiner and the 23-kilometer Kortelopet were taken up on Monday, Nov. 21, the earliest the race has reached its capacity.