RUMFORD — It’s been nearly a year since Dr. Derek Shepherd departed “Grey’s Anatomy,” leaving millions heartbroken as he went.

Fortunately, Patrick Dempsey is still around and at the end of the month, he’ll appear at a Dempsey Challenge fundraiser at Black Mountain Ski Resort in Rumford.

Dempsey is expected to attend Winter Fun Day, an event that includes Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and tubing at the resort. Money raised during the event will benefit the Rumford Hospital Dempsey Challenge Team.

Dempsey, who grew up in Buckfield and Turner, has continued to visit his home state following his departure last spring from ABC’s long-running series.

Since leaving “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dempsey continued to work on a pair of television shows while remaining active in the world of auto racing.

Dempsey and his family were inspired to start The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center by their mother, Amanda, who battled ovarian cancer several times over 17 years. She died in 2014 at age 79 after volunteering for years at the center.

Information about the Feb. 27 Winter Fun Day event can be found at the Dempsey Challenge website.

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