92 local charities benefit from Vail Resort's Epic Promise grants

Ninety-two different nonprofits recently received cash or product donations from Vail Resorts through their EpicPromise grant program. The beneficiaries all serve communities around Northstar, Kirkwood Mountain and Heavenly Mountain resorts.

“Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood take their role in our mountain communities seriously and we are thrilled to be able to have such strong relationships with our community partners through EpicPromise,” said Mike Goar, vice president and COO at Heavenly Mountain Resort. “We work closely with our community teams to ensure our contributions are relevant and that we are at the table as we work together to address the challenging issues we share.”

This year’s EpicPromise Grants and volunteer work in the community illustrate how the resorts and their community partners connect to make these resort communities special. For this year’s grant cycle, Vail Resorts wanted to make sure its contributions were pertinent and addressed the community’s most critical issues. As such, resort leadership teams asked community partners to identify the most important issues facing Lake Tahoe.

Through the EpicPromise program, grants were awarded to the following identified themes:

South Lake Tahoe

- Connecting Youth to Nature | Grants to the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, Marine Research & Education and the Lake Tahoe School District will each highlight different aspects of local ecology and will grow the next generation of environmental stewards.

- Mental Health | By partnering with Live Violence Free, children who are victims of domestic violence and/or child abuse will receive positive adult role models and guidance towards establishing lifestyles.

- Improving Our Community Fabric | Support of Bread & Broth provides nutritious meals to families in need through the “Adopt-A-Day of Nourishment” and “Bread & Broth 4 Kids” programs.

Truckee and North Lake Tahoe

- After-School and Life Skills Programs for Youth | Grants to Adventure Risk Challenge, Aim High for High School, Arts for the Schools, the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, Girls on the Run and SOS Outreach will help local youth reach their fullest potential.

- Environmental Organizations | By partnering with the Truckee River Watershed Council on their mission and River Day event, grants will help bring the Truckee community together to restore, protect and enhance our beloved Truckee River.

- Hunger and Basic Need | Support of Project MANA, Truckee Community Christmas and the Tahoe Food Hub provides nutrition to Truckee and North Lake Tahoe families year round.

- Local School Districts | Lift tickets to each school in TTUSD and Washoe County school districts and support of Sagehen Outdoor Education Program and the SWEP Program to promote sustainability.

New to EpicPromise this year, the Best of Tahoe Resort employees were given a voice and asked to vote on the EpicPromise Kids Award for a non-profit that was committed to making a tangible impact for kids of all demographics in the community in a way that meets critical needs. These $2,500 awards were given to the Tahoe Youth and Family Services in South Lake Tahoe and Arts for the Schools in Tahoe-Truckee.

For more information on EpicPromise, please visit: www.epicpromise.com.