SAM Magazine--Vail, Colo., July 21, 2004--Vail Resorts has committed approximately $600,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to the Alpino 10,000 Project, which aims to introduce 10,000 Denver-area youth to snowsports in Colorado over the next two years.

For each of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, Vail will contribute $5,000 a year to the Alpino Group and donate 2,500 lift/lesson/rental/lunch packages, valid at any of VR's four Colorado areas (Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek). Alpino will award the packages to inner city Denver kids through cooperative programs with the public schools and the city's 27 park and recreation centers, as well as through scholarship programs such as the Daniels Fund and ACE Scholarships. Students will earn trips to the mountains based on performance in school and community service.

As part of its commitment to bringing ethnic populations into the winter sports community, Vail has set of goal of hiring a minimum of 10 minority personnel into front line positions (ski school, patrol, lift operations, mountain information, etc.) at each of VR's five resorts, including Heavenly. Further, Keystone will host a Diversity Day on Monday, January 17, 2005, and will provide up to 1,000 discounted lift tickets for participants. VR is providing other in-kind support to the Alpino organization as well.

VR senior vice president Bill Jensen told SAM that, given Alpino's ambitious goal, "We have a responsibility to show leadership and that's what we're doing. It's an effort worth making for the next couple of years. We want it to be successful."

Alpino founder Roberto Moreno welcomed VR's support. "Vail's decision to support inclusivity is probably the most insightful marketing move made by any ski company since the industry started embracing snowboarders," he said. "We're hopeful that Vail's support for the Alpino diversity initiative will be duplicated by ski companies throughout the United States." \