Alpental ski area will hold a dedication and unveiling ceremony of the new David Pettigrew Mountain Safety and Education Center building, 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.

The two-story Education Center, located mid-mountain, will serve a dual purpose: as a meeting area for mountain safety and avalanche awareness courses and as an additional ski patrol outpost/dispatch center. Immediately following the dedication ceremony, tours of the building will be provided.

Named in honor of the late David Pettigrew, a long-time snowboarder who lost his life in a snowboarding accident at Alpental in December of 2005, the new structure will meet a growing need for additional meeting space to host a series of popular, free mountain safety and education courses held throughout the winter season, sponsored by the David Pettigrew Memorial Foundation and taught by Alpental’s Pro Patrol.

“Our family is very pleased to have this Center for Safety and Education named in honor of our son David,” said Ed Pettigrew, David’s father. “Turning the tragedy of our son’s passing into something positive and using it as a way to educate others is why the David Pettigrew Memorial Foundation was created. The Pettigrew family, the Foundation, and Alpental and its patrollers have the same basic goals: to prevent accidents on the mountain and to save lives. We are thankful to Alpental for this honor.”

The dedication ceremony is expected to be thirty minutes in duration with representatives in attendance from the David Pettigrew Memorial Foundation, David’s family, Alpental patrol and the ski area. This will be a public event and therefore, all interested parties are welcome to attend.

More information about the memorial foundation can be found at http://www.pettigrewfoundation.com.