Killington World Cup Foundation Grants $270K To 31 Not For Profits

The Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF) has awarded $270,000 in grants to 31 Northeast area nonprofits in nine states for the upcoming ski season (23/24). Grant amounts ranged from ~ $1,500 to $18,000, and all recipients are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor.

The KWCF grants were created to promote winter sports and enrich communities. KWCF serves as a steward for this cause by providing financial assistance in various areas. To increase diversity and equity in sports, KWCF supports initiatives that create opportunities for underrepresented groups. This includes initiatives that help remove barriers to entry, such as providing equipment and training opportunities. Additionally, KWCF aims to create new growth opportunities in winter sports by improving safety mechanisms and infrastructure and funding events that promote the sport to a broader audience. By doing so, KWCF hopes to foster a love for winter sports in people of all ages and backgrounds and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Mt. Abram Ski Club

For instance, Mt. Abram Ski Club (MASC) partnered with Mt. Abram Ski Resort to fund a Youth Community Pass Program (YCPP) available to public school students in Maine. The YCPP provides winter season passes to Mt. Abram for students aged 6 to 18. Although many children live near local ski areas, only some have the opportunity to ski or ride without financial assistance. KWCF awarded MASC a grant to provide more talented and deserving youth the chance to learn or continue pursuing their love for skiing and snowboarding. MASC remarks, “The KWCF grant has provided us with the resources needed to provide access to skiing and snowboarding for the youth in Western Maine. When children engage in outdoor activities, they are healthier and happier and become more engaged within their community and futures.”

Lebanon Outing Club

Lebanon Outing Club also identified an opportunity to optimize their learning experience: they have a large number of beginner skiers and snowboarders (ages ranging from three years to adulthood) who are just beginning their learning process and have not yet gained the skills to use the surface lift and trails safely and effectively. To address this issue, the club sought to create a safe learning-only area that would be serviced by the installation of a “magic carpet” surface lift. They received a KWCF grant to expand and improve their magic carpet learning program at the Storrs Hill Ski Area. The magic carpet will provide affordable options for beginning skiers, expanding safe access at the base area.

Hanover’s Oak Hill

Hanover’s Oak Hill is a vital part of the Upper Valley (NH) cross-country skiing community. The recent challenges of the global pandemic have only increased interest in promoting a healthy lifestyle through sport. To cater to this increased interest in cross-country skiing, trail lights were requested for the facility. These lights will improve access to the trails for more kids to use after school to combat the early sundowns typical of New England winters. Further, the elementary and middle schools have direct trail access to the system without even setting foot on a sidewalk or a road. With a KWCF grant, we aim to maximize productive ski hours for the next generation; providing light (no pun intended) for our youth is crucial to making this happen.

New England Nordic Ski Association

KWCF’s contribution towards athletic excellence is also evident through the support of the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA). Currently, 2,642 youths are participating in NENSA’s “NENSA Nordic Rocks Introductory Youth XC Ski Program” across 28 schools in the Northeast. The Nordic Rocks (NR) program was developed to introduce a new generation of children in grades K-6 to the joy of cross-country skiing. NR allows elementary school students to experience cross-country skiing during the school day with their teachers and classmates, usually during PE class, to learn about the health and lifestyle benefits that come with exercise and outdoor fun.

KWCF’s grant supports the funding of NENSA’s Youth & Introductory Program Director (Y&IPD). The Y&IPD organizes and implements the Nordic Rocks (NR) program for NENSA and supports the Bill Koch Youth Ski League, the next-level-up youth ski program.

Share Winter Foundation

The Share Winter Foundation aimed to expand its program with the Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV) by increasing support to 90 youths by winter 2024. To support the existing and future programming, they planned to purchase hard and soft goods to alleviate capacity issues and facilitate higher improvement rates. Last year, AALV staff and youth were new to skiing and the winter sports industry. Through the guidance of Share Winter, AALV is currently in year two of their ‘learn to ski/snowboard program’ at Sugarbush, VT, which has been wildly successful. With a KWCF grant contribution, AALV will continue to foster a sustainable future.

At KWCF, we are inspired by the narratives crafted and enriched through our grants. A critical factor in this has been our investment in the future of winter sports athletes in the United States. To achieve this, KWCF has provided numerous grants to stakeholders that address youth enrichment, which we know is paramount for creating champions. Our fundraising efforts have fostered meaningful and tangible change for athletes, their families, and the communities that support them. KWCF recognizes that this effort will be beneficial in a holistic manner. By increasing access and opportunities for participation in winter sports, we can create a stronger pool of athletes competing for the United States, ultimately leading to greater success.

A committee consisting of Tiger Shaw, CEO of Wasatch Peaks Ranch Club; Grace Macomber Bird, volunteer at the Kelly Brush Foundation; Harry Ryan, attorney at Facey, Goss & McPhee, P.C.; Victoria Hone, attorney at Facey, Goss & McPhee, P.C.; John Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella Waste Management; Kenneth Graham, founder and Chairman of Inverness Graham and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors; and Phill Gross, Managing Director at Adage Capital Management and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors reviewed grant applications.

KWCF was created to support the Women’s World Cup at Killington and to benefit local and regional youth development programs. The foundation will consider and award grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations to facilitate training infrastructure in the Northeast and SARA region and to increase participation in competitive winter sports programs throughout the Northeast. Fundraising is a year-round effort.

For a list of all 2023 grant recipients and for details on how to apply for future KWCF grants, please visit kwcfgivesback.org.