Vermont ski resorts report giving nearly 10,800 complimentary lift tickets/passes and another 3,700 deeply discounted tickets to school children annually. These numbers do not account for all the state's honor-roll eligible kids, to whom many resorts offer season passes.
The state's ski areas also recognize and appreciate Vermont's volunteers and local rescue organizations with complimentary lift tickets and passes; Vermont resorts reported donating 9,000 lift tickets/passes cumulatively. Military and their families are also eligible for special programs, some complimentary and others discounted at many Vermont resorts.
Elbow deep in food while catering a large function in the Base Lodge, Ascutney Mountain Resort family members, Susan Plausteiner, Trisha Kurtzhalz, Tom Mansfield, Lucille Plausteiner and Amanda Plausteiner Smith, pledged to join together to walk/ride in the 28th Prouty to benefit the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Calling themselves The Puff Pastries and the Stale Cruller, the former chose the 10K wooded walk while the Stale Cruller went his own way and rode the 50K. Together, the team raised more than $1,000 and pledges to double their efforts in 2010.
Bolton Valley is not only the "locals" ski area but also a resort that serves the local community. Working with various local, statewide and national organizations, Bolton Valley seeks to better the community it is a part of.
Bolton Valley is the original home to Chill, a program geared to working with underserved youth and teaching core values while snowboarding at the same time. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports (VASS) also expanded its operations last year to include Bolton Valley. VASS services the needs of disabled skiers and riders by providing them with special equipment and instruction on the mountain. Bolton also hosts multiple free days for its neighboring pre-K and elementary school.
This past summer, some 950 visitors to Bromley's Sun Mountain Adventure Park arrived bearing money-saving admission coupons picked up at McDonald's restaurants. In addition to the visitors' discounts, Bromley pledged to donate 50 cents for each coupon redeemed, $475 in total - a 36 percent increase over last year - to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).
"It's great, really," says Bromley President, Rich Wiseman. "A win-win-win situation... families got a nice break coming into the park, we enjoyed increased traffic and the Ronald McDonald House Charities got a nice donation."
The Burke Mountain Sled Dog Dash, now in its fourth year, has raised over $40,000 for local children's charities in the Northeast Kingdom. Burke is also the host of many other fundraising events throughout the year.
Over the past five years, Killington Resort and Pico Mountain have together donated more than $35,000 to the United Way of Rutland County through both winter and summer United Way Days.
One of the most important annual events at Mad River Glen is known as Greenwood Week. In honor of ski patrolman, Lee Greenwood, who was killed in a tragic car accident in 1974.
Designed to share his love of skiing with disadvantaged kids, Greenwood Week is an "Outward Bound" type of experience that encourages kids to challenge themselves and overcome their fears. Greenwood Week embodies Mad River's sense of community as it builds self esteem and teaches group dynamics while having fun. Skiing, equipment and food are donated by Mad River; the Montclair Ski Club donates its lodge. A highlight of the week is seeing Lee Greenwood's children, Chris and Jennifer, both Mad River Ski Patrollers, actively keeping their father's legacy alive.
With eager crowds of early skiers, Mount Snow utilized Opening Weekend on October 17-18 to raise awareness and funds for its local food shelf.
The $10 lift tickets raised $5,000 and skiers and riders brought more than 1,500 food items for the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry. This is the second year that Mount Snow donated its opening weekend revenue to a local charity.
For twenty years Smugglers' Notch Resort has hosted families sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The more than 30 visits have been enthusiastically supported by Resort employees, who have donated holiday tree ornaments, delicious treats, cards and Vermont mementos to the families to enhance their stays. Visiting children have built snowmen, taken rides on snowmobiles behind ski patrollers, laughed through snowboarding lessons, and grinned during sleigh rides, and leave with fond memories of their family's special Vermont holiday.
Smugglers' provides support to a variety of community efforts, including the local food shelf, the United Way, the Green Mountain Club, and the Cambridge Arts Council. The Resort's landscaping and flower crews maintain the beautiful flower beds in several prominent spots in nearby Jeffersonville. In keeping with its mission of environmental stewardship, the Resort provided the site for the development of the nonprofit Gateway to Nature program, an educational effort uniting the Resort and local community in support of environmental stewardship and education.
In October a long time employee of the sport shop 3 Mountain Outfitters at Smugglers' Notch wanted to help the Vermont National Guard after reading in the local newspaper about their training in Indiana in December prior to a year's deployment in Afghanistan in January. The guards people will receive an eight-day leave over the holidays but many can not come home to Vermont because of the cost. Don Gandini, himself a veteran, spearheaded a drive among employees to raise enough funds to bring at least one Guardsman home. Before Thanksgiving he will deliver $500 on his promise to the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation, Inc.
A very special annual event will take place Jan. 7-9 at Stowe Mountain Resort. Members of the business and media communities will come together to ski-race and raise money for three charities that offer hope and comfort to children in desperate need. Since year 2000, the dual slalom race has raised over one million dollars for The Hope and Heroes Children's Cancer Fund, Downy Side, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
What started in the backyard of Dr. Carlos Otis' house in 1964 has grown into a program that last year alone brought 800 local schoolchildren to Stratton Mountain weekly for skiing and riding. The Junior Instructional Ski Program, or JISP, makes it possible for local kids between the ages of eight and 18 to experience the joys of skiing at a very low cost.
In addition to offering inexpensive access to the mountain, free instruction, and instructor training, JISP also serves another important function: outfitting its members with new and used ski and snowboard equipment. Spearheading this effort is Stratton Ski School Supervisor Taffy Morgan who has been involved with the program for over 30 years. Morgan's involvement with JISP actually pre-dates her employment with Stratton Mountain and is a strong testament to her commitment to the cause.
"It has been a wonderful thing for a bunch of kids who wouldn't have had the opportunity to ski otherwise," Morgan says.
Another program at Stratton recognizes a need in the local community, as well as potential for positive impact: The Stratton Foundation has realigned its focus to support Vermont children facing the challenges of obesity, substance abuse, poverty, depression. The Stratton Foundation has supported a broad range of community organizations over the last 14 years, contributing more than $600,000 in grants thanks to the work of hundreds of volunteers and sponsors. Under a new structure, the foundation will work with community organizations to expand opportunities for Vermont's children to become socially integrated, healthier, smarter and more successful.
For local schools, Sugarbush hosts the Valley School Days. The Waitsfield, Warren and Fayston schools each visit the mountain one day a week during the season so the whole school can ski together. Sugarbush comps nearly 2000 tickets a season to allow that program to happen.
The Trapp Family Lodge hosts the only Nordic Relay for Life annually, with hundreds of cross-country skiers and snowshoes honoring loved ones, raising funds and supporting the American Cancer Society from dusk to dawn, Mar. 6-7, 2010.
When it comes to the local community and charitable giving, Okemo operators Tim and Diane Mueller set a tone that filters throughout resort staff and guests alike. Education is a recurring theme in the Muellers' philanthropic efforts. Diane has served on the Vermont State Board of Education and she founded the Okemo Community Challenge to support arts and technology in the Okemo Valley region's schools. Okemo awards scholarships to staff and staff dependents annually and the Okemo Academic Reward program awards season passes to local students in grades 7-12 who achieve and maintain Honor Roll status.
Okemo is host to numerous events that benefit area food pantries and assistance organizations. For more than a decade, Okemo Mountain Resort staff members have been celebrating Valentine's Day by donating to the resort's Have a Heart Program to benefit the Upper Valley United Way and Okemo matches donations for departments that achieve a participation rate of 90 percent or better. Okemo promotes a culture of support for its community and encourages staff to experience the personal rewards that come with helping neighbors in need.
On Sunday, Dec. 6, Okemo Mountain Resort will host its annual Cares and Shares Food Drive. When skiers and snowboarders donate at least three non-perishable food items, a new child’s toy or new clothing item, their generosity will be rewarded with an entire day of skiing and riding at Okemo for $35.
In addition, Okemo will donate 100 frozen turkeys to the cause.
“We want to make sure every family in the Okemo Valley has plenty to eat this holiday season,” says Okemo Events Manager Liam Fracht-Monroe. “This is a great way to get our guests involved in the local community and it’s a great way for Okemo to play a part.”
