One of the primary fundraisers for the Durango Winter Sports Foundation will make its return Saturday.

The annual Winter Gala will be held at Purgy’s at Durango Mountain Resort, starting at 6 p.m.

Dress of the annual benefit is black-tie optional.

The Durango Winter Sports Foundation is the nonprofit organization that is the umbrella over the Purgatory Freestyle Team, the Purgatory Alpine Team, the Durango Nordic Ski Club and the Purgatory Snowboard Team.

The Durango Winter Sports Foundation was formed in 2006 as a central organization to support the various winter sports teams in the Durango area.

The foundation has distributed more than $321,000 to the community ski and snowboard teams, including scholarships.

Saturday’s celebration at Durango Mountain Resort is one of the four fundraising efforts for the foundation.

The other fundraisers are the Locals Days at Durango Mountain Resort (where a portion of the proceeds benefit local charities), along with the Warren Miller ski film at the Smiley Building on Nov. 30 and the Snowdown Spaghetti Dinner.

First, however, is the Saturday night gala at DMR.There will be food and live entertainment by the Lawn Chair Kings. A silent auction also is scheduled.

The Durango Winter Sports Foundation will honor the area’s latest inductee in the Ski Hall of Fame, Chester “Chet” R. Anderson, one of the guiding forces at Purgatory.

Anderson, with a lifelong love of the outdoors, worked for the Forest Service as a snow ranger in Idaho before moving to Durango.

He worked as a biologist for the U.S. Forest Service in the San Juans.

Anderson was a volunteer coach for the Durango Ski Club team that trained at Chapman Hill and Hesperus Ski Area.

He also helped locate potential winter recreation sites in Southwest Colorado.

Ray Duncan, the first owner and developer of Purgatory, also was involved with the ski club racers. He lamented to Anderson that the club did not have a big mountain for training.

Purgatory Resort was born.

Anderson will be honored for his contributions and leadership as the first general manager at Purgatory. He worked at the area from 1965 through 1984.

He was instrumental in the layout and development of the resort.

“Chet was the right man, at the right time, to be the general manager of Purgatory,” said Mike Elliott of Durango, the executive chairman of the Durango Winter Sports Foundation.

“He worked so hard, and he could do any and all things necessary at the resort. He was great to work for because he made it fun to be a staff member at Purgatory,” Elliot said.

Anderson has been married to wife Beverly for 56 years. They have five children – Kathy, Jon, Chester, Christine and Karl.

For ticket information, visit www.durangowintersports.org.

heraldsports@durangoherald.com