Mt. Hood, OR – Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort is celebrating National Ski Area Safety Week with a Safety Fair at the Oregon ski area on Saturday.

The National Ski Areas Association has designated January 21 – 27, 2012 as National Ski Area Safety Awareness Week. The event promotes and encourages responsible practices and etiquette designed to make skiers and snowboarders more aware of safety on the slopes. Essential to courteous and safe sharing of the mountain is the Responsibility Code – seven simple rules which if followed can provide an extra margin of safety on the slopes.

Activities at the Safety Fair at Mt. Hood Meadows will include Know the Code games and raffle, a beginner chair demonstration, L.I.F.T.S.T.A.R.S education, an avalanche dog meet-and-greet, damaged helmet education and recycling, avalanche rescue training and awareness, a Recco demonstration, music and prizes.

Representatives from Meadows Pro Patrol will be on hand to discuss safety issues and introduce guests to the safety search and rescue dogs. A “beacon run” is planned to allow those who own avalanche beacons to test them and practice search techniques. A special emphasis this year is educating young guests about how to board, ride and unload chairlifts safely (the L.I.F.T.S.T.A.R.S Program).

Mt. Hood Meadows endorses the NSAA Code of Responsibility and encourages guests to “Know The Code” before and while visiting the mountain:

1. Stay in Control.
2. People ahead have the right of way.
3. Stop in a safe place for you and others.
4. When starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield.
5. Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
6. Observe signs and warnings and keep off closed trails.
7. Know how to use the lifts safely.