Missing luges returned, owner gets to meet man who found sleds
Reunited and it feels so good.
That was the sense of fulfillment Gordy Sheer no doubt felt as he regained a handful of training sleds that fell out of a truck last month after a Luge Challenge at Blue Mountain Ski Area.Sheer's moment of reconciliation took place at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the ski area in Lower Towamensing Township, where he met the man responsible for finding and returning the sleds.Mike Miller, of Moore Township, Northampton County, said he came across the sleds one day last month on his drive home from work. He said the sleds were sitting by the side of the road in front of a house in East Allen Township.Miller said he stopped to ask the homeowner if the sleds belonged to him, to which he said they did not, and that he merely moved them to the curb so that no one would hit them.That's when Miller took it upon himself to load up the sleds and take them to his home. Sheer, director of marketing and sponsorship for the U.S. Luge Association, had reported the loss of the sleds to state police at Bethlehem.Through various media outlets, word spread the sleds were missing. Miller then contacted police to make them aware he found the sleds.Sandy Caligiore, publicity director for the U.S. Luge Association, arranged to have the parties meet Tuesday at the luge course for the news conference.Miller was joined by his family, Sheer, Caligiore, Theresa Buckley, of Allentown, who is a member of the USA Luge Junior National Team, state police Corporal Pete Kandianis, and Blue Mountain representatives.Sheer, an Olympic champion who won the silver medal in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, with partner Chris Thorpe, said the five training luges had been used at a clinic last month at Blue Mountain.Afterward, Sheer admitted he forgot to latch the back of the U-Haul that carried the sleds, which he said were lost on the drive back to his hotel.Fortunately, the sleds - which cost between $400-$600 each - were not damagedSheer said the team was grateful to Blue Mountain, state police, and "sincerely grateful to the Miller family for helping us out."For his efforts, Miller and his family, Lilly, 9, Emma, 6, and Michael Jr., 4, were presented with national team gear by the U.S. Luge Association. The parties then posed for photos.Blue Mountain Ski Area is a premiere winter and summer recreation destination that offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing and more.Not only does Blue Mountain offer Pennsylvania's highest vertical, but it also has the most trails in the state. From beginners to experts, there are trails for all ability levels, including three runs near or over a mile long.For more information, visit
www.skibluemt.com, or call (610) 826-7700.