Vail mayor: Personal actions, responsibility will lead us to our overall community success

The Town of Vail on Friday issued the following letter from Vail Mayor Dave Chapin to the community:

These last few weeks have brought out the best in our community. We’ve come together to safely check on our neighbors, give thanks to our frontline workers, order takeout from our restaurants and responsibly enjoy the early opening of our rec paths. We’ve honored our healthcare professionals for putting their lives on the line, extended appreciation to our local, state and federal partners for their support and tireless efforts in helping to guide us through this public health crisis and we’ve remained upbeat in offering hope for the future.

I can’t thank everyone enough for the well-wishes I’ve received while recovering from the virus and I grieve for the families of Rod Powell, Bob Lazier and others from our extended Vail community who have succumbed to COVID-19.

Looking ahead, we each have a vital role to play in a healthy and vibrant recovery. Now more than ever, we need to continue to work together to strengthen our community by helping those most in need and set the example for our future. I’m pleased to announce our first round of funding from the Vail Community Relief Fund has been awarded to 10 nonprofit organizations: Bright Future Foundation, Catholic Charities, Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, Salvation Army, Suicide Prevention Coalition, Swift Eagle Charitable Foundation, The Eagle Valley Community Foundation, The Hope Center of Eagle River Valley, United Way and the Vail Valley Charitable Fund. These organizations, in turn, will be distributing $100,000 toward food relief efforts, $123,000 for medical and behavioral health and $60,000 toward rental relief for our residents.

Applications for a second round of funding from the town will be accepted through May 4 from qualifying nonprofits after initially setting aside $500,000 for this relief fund. If you’re in need, please contact these organizations directly so they can assist you. If you have the means to donate personally to these organizations or to help in other humanitarian ways, please join us.

I can’t stress the importance of our continued collective efforts that will be needed for our community to pull through and save lives. It is imperative that each of us take responsibility to practice the sustained social distancing and safer-at-home measures announced by Governor Polis and Eagle County Public Health. Let’s show the state and the nation how our community can safely lead the way to a sustained recovery as we gradually work through the recommended steps over the coming weeks and months.

This means actively taking responsibility to incorporate the necessary precautions in our day-to-day activities that have been asked of us by our public health officials by taking the pledge to take the 5 Commitments of Containment:

• I will maintain 6 feet of social distance
• I will wash my hands often
• I will cover my face in public
• I will stay home when I am sick
• I will get tested immediately if I have symptoms

Also, stay close to home when you recreate, be sure to keep your dog leashed and kindly ask others to follow your example.

If you’re a part-time resident of our community, we ask that you remain at your primary residence until our public health officials tell us it is safe for you to return. If you operate a short-term rental, these transactions are being limited to local residents, essential business, medical care and emergencies through May 31.

If we can each commit to take personal responsibility to practice these safe behaviors over the long term, we’re hopeful the virus can be kept in check. Then we can turn our full attention toward our social and economic recovery. None of this will be easy. But I’m confident we can get through this together. Let’s get to work!