New Vail Resorts report highlights community and sustainability achievements

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Vail Resorts’ second annual EpicPromise Progress Report was released this week, showing they gave away $14.5 in community and employee grants in the areas their resorts are located. In the Lake Tahoe area, $1.9 million in grants was given to 93 local organizations.

Generally, Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise community grants focus on youth and the environment and adjusts to address the topics that are most pressing in each community. Employees located in each resort community decide which local organizations receive grants, and the company relies on relationships with community leaders to ensure our contributes match local needs.

The report also highlighted significant progress toward the company’s sustainability goal, Commitment to Zero, showing big wins in energy efficiency and waste reduction.

Local highlights:

- At Heavenly Resort, food waste composting increased from eight tons in FY18 to more than 33 tons in FY19.

- Northstar Resort is piloting the use of renewable diesel in some transit and hauling fleet vehicles, which emits about 80 percent fewer lifecycle emissions compared to fossil fuel diesel. Once complete, Vail Resorts will evaluate switching more vehicles to renewable diesel in the upcoming season.

These donations do not include the $2 million in grants given this year by Vail's CEO, Robert Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam through their Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust. Some of that went to the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless. The trust gave funds to Bread & Broth 4 Kids to start a summertime food giveaway program. Heavenly employees volunteer year-round for the programs that gives food every week to local children.

More than 300 employees from Vail resorts at Lake Tahoe - Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar - joined in during the 10th year of Vail's EpicPromise Week and volunteered hundreds of hours with local community programs focused on youth, education and the environment. This year they teamed up and contributed to four different projects around Lake Tahoe.

Since the last EpicPromise Progress Report, Vail Resorts has added 19 resorts across the U.S. and Australia to its portfolio and intends to incorporate each into Commitment to Zero.

“Our company is growing and so is our commitment to preserving the spectacular places in which we live, work, and play,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts in a press release. “We are encouraged by our progress over the last year, inspired by our learnings, and excited to think even bigger. Our growth allows us to have more of an impact in investing in mountain communities, more of an impact in supporting employees, and more of an impact in preserving the environment.”