Rutland Herald
Saturday, October 5, 2019
KILLINGTON — Two local ski programs
have been chosen to receive funding from World Cup ticket sales
generated at last year’s event.
Killington Ski Club and the Pico Ski Education Foundation received grants from the Killington World Cup Foundation, a nonprofit formed when the women’s FIS Ski World Cup was first hosted at Killington Ski Resort in 2016. In 2018, sales of VIP and Premier Grandstand tickets went to the foundation, said Courtney Harkins, of Elevate Communications, a firm working for the Pico foundation.
The resort has announced that the World Cup will return to Killington this year at the end of November and has committed to coming back in 2020. There’s also an option for it to come back in 2021. In 2018, it drew nearly 40,000 people to the area.
Peggy
Shinn, a member of the Pico Ski Education Foundation board of
directors, said Thursday her organization, which benefits the Pico Ski
Club Alpine Racing Program, received $15,000 from the Killington World
Cup Foundation this year. It received $25,000 last year.
The ski resorts at Killington Mountain and Pico Mountain are both owned by POWDR.
Shinn said the grant funds will go toward trail improvements on “Little Pico,” mainly widening them so they can accommodate more skiers and hold snow better.
The Pico club, she said, works to teach young people how to ski, getting and keeping them interested in outdoor winter sports.
Mike Castellini, president of the Killington Ski Club, said all of the Killington World Cup Foundation grants are matching grants. His club was awarded $35,000 last year and $20,000 this year. It will use the money to improve timekeeping and build some kind of warming shelter. Castellini said the initial conception for the shelter was a yurt, but the resort wanted a more permanent structure.
Harkins
said this year the Killington World Cup Foundation awarded $252,000 in
grants to 22 groups similar to the Killington and Pico clubs all across
the Northeast.
“When making the decision to host the World Cup, one of the objectives was to give back to the athletic community in the area,” said Herwig Demshar, senior vice president of international business development at POWDR, in a printed statement. “This partnership has proven an effective way to give directly to supporting young, aspiring skiers and snowboarders who are the future competitors and supporters of the sport.”
keith.whitcomb @rutlandherald.com
Killington Ski Club and the Pico Ski Education Foundation received grants from the Killington World Cup Foundation, a nonprofit formed when the women’s FIS Ski World Cup was first hosted at Killington Ski Resort in 2016. In 2018, sales of VIP and Premier Grandstand tickets went to the foundation, said Courtney Harkins, of Elevate Communications, a firm working for the Pico foundation.
The resort has announced that the World Cup will return to Killington this year at the end of November and has committed to coming back in 2020. There’s also an option for it to come back in 2021. In 2018, it drew nearly 40,000 people to the area.
The ski resorts at Killington Mountain and Pico Mountain are both owned by POWDR.
Shinn said the grant funds will go toward trail improvements on “Little Pico,” mainly widening them so they can accommodate more skiers and hold snow better.
The Pico club, she said, works to teach young people how to ski, getting and keeping them interested in outdoor winter sports.
Mike Castellini, president of the Killington Ski Club, said all of the Killington World Cup Foundation grants are matching grants. His club was awarded $35,000 last year and $20,000 this year. It will use the money to improve timekeeping and build some kind of warming shelter. Castellini said the initial conception for the shelter was a yurt, but the resort wanted a more permanent structure.
“When making the decision to host the World Cup, one of the objectives was to give back to the athletic community in the area,” said Herwig Demshar, senior vice president of international business development at POWDR, in a printed statement. “This partnership has proven an effective way to give directly to supporting young, aspiring skiers and snowboarders who are the future competitors and supporters of the sport.”
keith.whitcomb @rutlandherald.com
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