The coaches wanted the windows uncovered. The kids wanted them covered.

The kids won.

“Our emphasis was, what would the kids want?” Melinda Chadbourne of Auburn said.

She and her husband, Miles Smith, were in the process of upgrading the race room at Lost Valley in Auburn. The room, where students from local ski teams wax and tune their skis, was a favorite spot for their son Merrick to chat with friends.

“The kids like hanging out in there,” Melinda said. “The coaches did not want us to put anything up in the window so that they could see in and out. But the kids did not like that people could walk by and look in,” she said.

The windows are covered. “That’s how the kids wanted it,” Melinda said. 

The race room was upgraded and dedicated in memory of Merrick Chadbourne, the 14-year-old son of Miles and Melinda, who died in 2012. Cups of Dr Pepper, Merrick’s favorite drink, were downed during the dedication. 

“Merrick lived for skiing. He loved it,” his mother said. 

The Chadbourne family moved to Auburn in 2004 and all three children were enrolled in ski lessons that winter. Merrick, the oldest of three, was in first grade.

“We have been skiing ever since,” Melinda said. “It’s something we love doing together as a family — something we encourage other families to do together,” she said.

Since Merrick’s death, Miles and Melinda have put their efforts into making it easier to ski for families who may not be able to afford to. 

Merrick died from an accident at his home in June 2012, three months after celebrating his 14th birthday on the podium at Lost Valley. The entire lounge sang happy birthday after a medal was placed around Merrick’s neck following a ski race. 

The ski teams of Auburn Middle School and Edward Little High School were at Merrick’s funeral. 

“They were all there,” Melinda said. “The whole high school team came in their ski jackets,” she said with tears in her eyes. 

Members of the AMS ski team were honorary pallbearers. 

In lieu of flowers, donations were made to the Auburn Ski Association.

The Chadbournes requested that the money be used to teach children how to ski.

Melinda had taught children’s ski lessons and Merrick “loved to come and help — especially the 4-year-old class on Saturday mornings,” Melinda said. “He loved to teach the kids.”

“It was something Merrick was passionate about,” Miles said. “(Teaching) was something Merrick showed some interest in the first year and indicated that he may want to help with it someday.

“We felt like (teaching children how to ski) was the best tribute we could do for him in his memory,” Miles said. “We wanted to keep his memory and spirit alive.” 

A little over $3,000 was raised soon after Merrick’s death. The Chadbournes sent thank-you letters stating what the money would be used for, and ultimately raised another $6,000. 

Seventy-four children are enrolled in the ASA Merrick Chadbourne Learn to Ski and Snowboard Program. A bus picks up and drops off children at each of Auburn’s six elementary schools on half-day Wednesdays. 

“I am very grateful that she gets this opportunity,” Katie Luke said as she helped her 7-year-old daughter, Araceli, get ready for lessons. 

“This is the best, mom,” the first-grader at Walton Elementary said following her first lesson. “It’s my new favorite sport.”

“I never learned to ski, so I’m glad she gets to,” Luke said. 

While the program is open to every Auburn student age 7 through the sixth grade, the Chadbournes hope to get children into the program who do not have the means to ski.

“The hope is that it would most benefit those that cannot afford to ski,” Miles said.

“Our hope is that more and more people who couldn’t afford to do this as a family will be able to take advantage of this program in the  years to come,” Melinda said.

Miles said more than 80 percent of the children in the program rent skis. 

“It took a long time to get the kids in their rental gear,” Melinda said about the first lesson. “We had over 50 kids in there at one moment that needed to put on ski boots for the first time in their life,” she said. “That was more than just a little crazy.”

“I bet we got 50 phone calls the night before the first day,” Melinda said. 

Children ride the bus back to their school after lessons end at 3:30 p.m. But Melinda stayed til 6 p.m. on day one with a young girl who thought she was being picked up. 

Melinda brought hot cocoa and graham crackers to warm the children and games to play for those who grew tired from skiing. Her Girl Scout Cadet Troop 2014 came to help play games and hand out snacks. 

“She’s loving it,” Jenn Dudzic said about her 8-year-old daughter, Paige Coleman. “This is her first time ever on skis,” Dudzic said. “It’s perfect for entry level.” 

Miles and Melinda spend just as much time at Lost Valley as they did before Merrick died. 

Their daughter, Miranda, races for Auburn Middle School and their son, Marshall, teaches ski lessons. 

But driving into the ski area on the access road has never been the same.

“Everything is harder,” Miles said. “We keep going for (Miranda and Marshall) and we want to keep Merrick’s memory alive.”

When Lost Valley was on the brink of closing, Melinda and Whitney Condit started the Friends of Lost Valley, a group of volunteers who have raised funds and helped with maintenance to help keep the mountain open. 

“Merrick would have been devastated and my daughter was (devastated) at the thought of them not opening,” Melinda said. “So I just had to do everything that I could do to try to keep that from happening.

“The sense of community and belonging up here (at Lost Valley) is really nice,” Melinda said. 

“We have very good friends here,” Miles said. “The social aspect was a big deal for Merrick. Being on the ski team, riding the buses to the meets, hanging out in the lodge with his teammates. That was as big of an appeal to Merrick as the skiing was,” Miles said. 

dslover@sunjournal.com