Tahoe ski resort donations

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE® AND NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE™ RESORTS DONATE MORE THAN $250,000 DURING THE 2008-2009 WINTER SEASON
Local Students and Athletes, Environmental and Community Organizations Among Beneficiaries

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE and TRUCKEE, Calif. – May 11, 2009 – Sierra™ and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resorts continued their longstanding commitment to their communities and constituents during the 2008-2009 season with charitable contributions in excess of $250,000 to community and environmental programs.

“Part of our role as members of the Tahoe business community and as global citizens is finding ways to give back throughout the season. We look for ways to make meaningful contributions to the organizations that surround and support our guests and employees during the entire year,” commented John Rice, General Manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort.

Following is a summary of the philanthropic efforts for Sierra Resort.

Barton Memorial Hospital Foundation - Sierra Resort donated $70,000 in lift tickets to Barton Memorial Hospital Foundation during the annual Snowsports Week in February. Barton Foundation then sold the tickets through retail shops in town for a discounted price of $35, raising approximately $35,000 for local organizations benefiting children and wildlife.

Local Sports - On Customer Appreciation Day, April 20, 2009, Sierra Resort raised $8,200 from the day’s lift ticket sales. The money was donated to sponsor local sports teams including South Tahoe High School’s baseball, softball, basketball and football teams, as well as the High Sierra Soccer League, to name a few.

Buckle Up Big Air - To honor the memory of Greg Smith, one of Sierra Resort’s freestyle team members and a beloved friend to many local skiers and riders, and bring awareness to the critical issue of seatbelt safety, Sierra Resort hosted a memorial slopestyle event, Buckle Up Big Air, raising $2,800. Part of the funds raised went to the Greg Smith scholarship fund for the Sierra Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists families whose children want to be a part of Sierra Resort’s competitive teams. The remaining funds will go to create a memorial terrain feature in Sierra Resort’s terrain parks, where Greg spent many happy days with his friends.

World Vision - In partnership with Hannah Teter, who took the golf medal in Women’s Halfpipe in Torino, Italy, Sierra Resort hosted a pancake party featuring Hannah’s Gold maple syrup with proceeds benefiting World Vision, a relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. Sierra Resort and Hannah raised $1,300 for World Vision at the Hannah’s Gold event held in December and through the sale of her signature maple syrup in the retail shop.

Local Students – More than 281 complimentary season passes were made available to local students with a “Straight A” report card. Over 137 students picked up their passes, a donation valued at more than $41,000.

South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center – At the end of the winter season, Sierra Resort donated close to $900 in food to the Women’s Center for distribution to clients in need. Springtime, South Shore ’s shoulder season, is one of the busiest times at the Women’s Center because many seasonal workers are laid-off and have trouble making ends meet. Sierra’s food donation will go directly onto the kitchen table of many local families.

Ryan Shreve Memorial Fire Fighters Race – In memory of Ryan Shreve, a South Tahoe local and fire fighter, Sierra Resort hosts an annual race for South Tahoe Fire Fighters. Proceeds from the annual race are used to produce flyers that educate people about Second Impact Syndrome. The flyers have been placed on all ALS equipment in El Dorado County and the Sierra Resort first aid clinic.

Following is a summary of the philanthropic efforts of Northstar Resort.

Excellence in Education – Northstar Resort hosted “Ski for Education Day” on Sunday, January 4 to benefit Excellence in Education, a local education-based foundation that provides grants, resources and partnerships to benefit local schools. The resort donated approximately $25,000 to the local non-profit organization.

Truckee Community Christmas – In an annual tradition, Northstar Resort initiated a contest between employees on the mountain vs. those in the Village at Northstar™ aimed at which area of the resort could collect the largest contribution on behalf of Truckee Community Christmas. This season, Northstar Resort employees donated barrels of canned food and more than $1,600 in cash to Truckee Community Christmas, a local project that has helped hundreds of families and seniors at Christmas time with food, toys, gifts, warm coats and food gift cards.

Tahoe Women’s Services Ski Day – Nearly 1,000 skiers and snowboarders came out to support Tahoe Women’s Services on Sunday, April 5 at Northstar Resort. Full-day adult lift tickets were sold at a discounted price of $25, resulting in a total of $25,000 raised for the organization. Tahoe Women’s Services provides delivery of emergency food and shelter, counseling, legal assistance and advocacy to women and families in need.

Truckee Humane Society – Northstar Resort also raised $735 to benefit the Truckee Humane Society through the sale of pet “season pass” photos. The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of pets through adoption, community spay/neuter services and humane education programs.

Sierra Avalanche Center – Northstar Resort donated the proceeds of 300 ticket sales priced at $40 each to the Sierra Avalanche Center , a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers who are dedicated to promoting safe backcountry travel. The donation of $12,000 helped to provide funding for the daily avalanche forecast for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba Pass on the north and Sonora Pass on the south.

Both resorts contribute to the following efforts:

Snowboard Outreach Society – Northstar and Sierra Resort sponsor 20 students per resort through the Snowboard Outreach Society, a non-profit that aims to build character and self-esteem in youth through snowsports. The sponsorship includes five days of lift tickets for each student as well as rental equipment and professional instruction each day.

Mini SKIGreen Tags – Northstar and Sierra Resort support the sale of mini SKIGreen Tags to reduce carbon emissions and help offset guests’ travel to and from the resorts. SKIGreen Tags are sold in denominations of $2. This season, the resorts collectively sold nearly $2,500 in SKIGreen Tags.

Requests for donations – Throughout the winter season, Northstar and Sierra Resort responded to requests for donations from regional schools and non-profit groups with more than $70,000 in lift tickets and other products.

For donation criteria or to submit a donation request from either resort, please visit www.sierraattahoe.com/donations or www.northstarattahoe.com/donations.