Dear Friend of the US Biathlon Team,

Last season was the among the most successful ever for the US Biathlon Team – Tim Burke and Jay Hakkinen both had top-ten finishes and Lowell Bailey and Haley Johnson both logged personal-bests. Leif Nordgren won a medal at the Youth World Championship and two Junior athletes qualified for the World Championship Team. With your help we can build on that success and be even better this season.

It is now clear that the comprehensive plan to ensure Americans will have the training and support necessary to win medals at the 2010 Olympics In Vancouver, and a gold medal at that, is working. The athletes have done their part by being focused and dedicated day in and day out – doing the hard work to become the best in the world.  The staff has organized a great training program, utilizing the most advanced training methods and technologies. The Team has received much more support than ever from the US Olympic Committee. But to continue to make progress against the best in the world and ultimately beat them, we need to do more. To succeed, our team requires unprecedented commitments of time, facilities, and financial support, year after year.

Last season about fifty members and friends answered the call and helped our annual Gold Medal Campaign reach over twenty-five thousand dollars, an unprecedented success and a first for the Team.  In fact, that support helped our athletes post some historic results. This season we are even closer to the medals and we know that with your contributions our athletes will close the gap. Proceeds will be used to help finance team training and travel costs so critical to improving results.

Below you will find a chart outlining the various levels of giving and associated thank you gifts and a link button to a PayPal form that will allow you to give online with a credit card. Or you can send a check to US Biathlon, 49 Pineland Dr, Suite 301A, New Gloucester, ME 04260.

Categories	Annual Donations	Thank You Gift
Champion’s Circle	$20,000 +	VIP Passes & Accommodations for 2 at World Championship, Official Team Apparel, Commemorative Photo with Team
Chairman’s Circle	$10,000 to 19,999	VIP Passes for 2 to World Cup
Team Leader’s Circle	$5,000 to 9,999	US Team Jacket
Coaches’ Circle	$2,500 to 4,999	Autographed Team Photo
Gold Medallists	$1000 to 2,499	Gold Medal Club Pin
Silver Medallists	$500 to 999	US Biathlon Calendar
Bronze Medallists	$250 to 499	US Biathlon Calendar
Olympic Dreams	$100 to 249	US Biathlon Calendar
Team Supporter	$50 to $99	US Biathlon Calendar

Please support this important campaign to the best of your ability and help us raise $15,000 by the end of December. With your help, we will be able to provide our team the support necessary to produce that gold medal!