Colorado does charity differently.
In other states, people run, walk and bike to raise money for cancer awareness and treatment.
Here, we ski for a cause.
The biggest annual ski fundraiser is Pink Vail (usually in spring but on different days), the world’s largest ski day to benefit the cause of cancer.
Fittingly, Pink Vail is based on one of the largest ski resorts in the country, with over 5,000 acres of gunpowder to explore, and also one of the most reputable. Vail is home to multiple Olympic champions, and also the location for the Burton US Open.
Pink Vail is not a race, per se, and you don’t even have to ski to participate, although most participants do, because, well, Vail. (If you’ve ever been there, you know the magnetic pattern on these earrings.) You can simply ride the gondola up the mountain or you can volunteer to help out behind the scenes. The main fundraising event needs more than 300 volunteers each year.
Some contestants dress up in crazy costumes and come up with funky team names and traditions.
Take a look at the mountain on Pink Vail day, and you’ll quickly know where the name of the event came from. The white snow is covered in pink, from the participants’ costumes to their shirts and hair.
It attracts many local skiers, from people who have been affected by cancer to people looking for a positive excuse to squeeze in one last day of skiing, as we approach the end of the season. Pink Vail also draws many visitors to Colorado, and is a unique way to spend a spring day on the mountain for passing tourists.
Fondo by Pink Vail
The Pink Vail event started in 2012 and was immediately well received. Event organizers say they exceeded their goal by 60 percent, telling them they were on to something.
By the following year, the event nearly doubled.
By 2015, Pink Vail attracted more than 2,400 participants on 162 teams. That year alone it raised more than $ 720,000.
Since its inception, Pink Vail has raised more than $ 1.7 million.
Family-friendly Pink Vail is based at the top of the Eagle Bahn gondola, which is easy to get to, skis or not.
One hundred percent of the proceeds are kept local and sent to the Shaw Regional Cancer Center to help care for patients and programs like free fitness classes, nutritional help and other support for cancer patients and survivors.
Visiting Vail during Pink Vail weekend?
Although the low season is approaching, accommodation may be difficult to find this weekend, due to the influx of visitors for the fundraising event. You can usually find special accommodation deals for the event, if rooms are still available, such as the Lionsquare Lodge; In the past, this hotel has offered a donation of $ 5 per room to the cause.
Don’t worry about transportation when in town. The city itself is fully walkable, and the shuttle service that constantly crosses the city is free and easy to understand.
Other ways to ski for a cause
Pink Vail isn’t the only mountain fundraiser in Colorado.
The Invest In Kids Jane-A-Thon is a long-standing annual event in Winter Park that raises money for the Invest in Kids program. In fact, it claims to be the longest running event of its kind in the state.
This ski / board-a-thon is a two-day event that raises thousands of dollars for vulnerable children.
There is also Ski to Defeat ALS or Gore-Tex Grand Traverse, which raises money for the CB Nordic Council. This 40-mile cross-country ski run runs between Crested Butte and Aspen.
Many ski resorts donate lift tickets and ski passes to charities and donate money to non-profit organizations. For example, Arapahoe Basin donated more than $ 73,000 in tickets and passes in 2013-14. It hosts three major fundraising events each year: the Beacon Bowl, the Enduro, and Save Our Snow.
Beacon Bowl, over 14 years old, goes beyond skiing and includes a beacon hunting competition and avalanche demonstrations for dogs.
So while Colorado ski resorts are great entertainment and a worthy reason to visit Colorado, in and of themselves, they also strive to contribute to the community on a meaningful social level. So when you go skiing, even though that lift ticket is quite expensive, you can feel a little better knowing that you may, even indirectly, be helping a significant cause.
