Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz donates $2.5 million to support employees, mountain communities

As individuals and communities contend with the severe impacts of COVID-19, Vail Resorts’ CEO, Rob Katz, and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, on Monday announced a donation of more than $2.5 million to provide immediate support for both Vail Resorts employees and the mountain towns where the Company operates.

Katz will donate $1.5 million in immediate emergency relief grants that will benefit more than a dozen local organizations providing critical services in Eagle, Summit and Gunnison counties in Colo.; Park City, Utah; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Whistler, B.C.; Vermont; Stevens Pass, Wash.; and Jackson Hole, Wyo. (home of Grand Teton Lodge Company).

An additional $1 million is being donated by Katz to create a new fund within Vail Resorts’Epic Promise Employee Foundation, which helps the Company’s employees respond to unpredictable setbacks, including medical events. This fund will help meet the increased need for assistance due to the impacts of COVID-19, ensuring that the Foundation has the resources to address this challenge.

“I cannot recall another moment in my lifetime that has caused so much disruption to our lives – to our work, to our health and to our communities,” said Katz. “Throughout this incredibly challenging time, two of our absolute priorities have been, and will continue to be, the health and wellbeing of our employees and mountain communities. What makes our resorts so special is where they’re located and the passionate people who live there. As we navigate this situation, it’s essential we continue to support our employees and the vitality of our communities, providing partnership when it’s needed most.”

“We thank our entire community for stepping up to the plate to give back,” said Susie Davis, director of community impact, Eagle Valley Community Foundation. “The Community Market is experiencing increasing demand for food. Rob Katz and Elana Amsterdam have shown up once again by being leaders. Their concern for those impacted locally during this uncertain time, and the authentic care they have for this community, is demonstrated through this support. With this contribution, we are able to continue to provide healthy food in a safe manner to our local families.”

“COVID-19 has greatly impacted our small mountain town,” said Lori Pyne, interim executive director, Whistler Community Services Society. “Whistler Community Services Society greatly appreciates this grant from Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust. Our funding model is social enterprise, which typically funds 75% of our social services, and we have been forced to close these stores in compliance with the federal government and our medical experts. Contributions like this helps ensure that we can keep up with demand for our essential services of the Foodbank and our Outreach Services, which we expect to soar in the coming months.”

The donation will be distributed through the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust, which was established to support mountain communities, with an initial focus on eliminating the stigma of mental illness and increasing access to mental and behavioral healthcare. Since 2016, the Trust has donated over $10 million total, including nearly $6.5 million in mental and behavioral health grants, to communities where Vail Resorts operates.

Recipients of the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grants include:

State of Colorado:

• Help Colorado Now: $250,000 to support non-profits across Colorado that are providing critical services during this public health crisis

Eagle County, Colorado:

• Eagle Valley Community Foundation: $200,000 to support basic needs and mobile food bank services that help community members across the county

Summit County, Colorado:

• Family Intercultural Resource Center: $100,000 to support the organization’s mobile food bank and mental health and social service navigation
• The Summit Foundation: $100,000 to the Summit County Cares Fund to support non-profits serving the most vulnerable populations and providing critical resources to community members

Crested Butte, Colorado:

• Community Foundation of Gunnison Valley: $50,000 to the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Efforts that supports non-profits who provide critical services to those impacted

Summit County, Utah:

• Park City Community Foundation: $200,000 to support the Community Response Fund that will deploy resources to health and human services community organizations that serve vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 outbreak

South Lake Tahoe, California:

• The El Dorado Community Foundation: $150,000 to the Foundation’s Coronavirus Relief Fund that will support families in need and non-profits that provide critical basic need and other social services to the community

North Lake Tahoe/Truckee, California:

• Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation: $100,000 to the Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund that supports non-profits across the region to serve the critical needs of those impacted by the coronavirus.

Whistler, British Columbia:

• Whistler Community Social Services: $100,000 CAD to support the organization’s mobile food bank, mental health services and social service outreach efforts
• The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation: $100,000 CAD to the Foundation’s COVID relief fund that will support non-profits across the Sea-to-Sky corridor as they meet the most critical needs of community members

Vermont:

• Vermont Community Foundation: $150,000 to support several non-profits in three communities that provide food services, basic needs and critical social services to community members

Stevens Pass, Washington:

• Upper Valley Mend: $50,000 to support the organization’s food bank program and other critical social services to those in need

Jackson, Wyoming (Grand Teton Lodge Company):

• Community Foundation of Jackson Hole: $50,000 to the Community Emergency Response Fund to support local non-profits helping those directly impacted by COVID-19.

All Vail Resorts Communities

• Epic Promise Employee Foundation: $1 million to establish a new fund to provide additional assistance to Vail Resorts employees due to the impacts of COVID-19.