Aspen’s LGBTQIA+ nonprofit celebrates ‘record-breaking’ year

AspenOUT, the nonprofit organization behind Aspen Gay Ski Week, has announced a record-breaking year of celebration and service.

The 2025 Aspen Gay Ski Week welcomed over 5,000 attendees and generated an estimated $12 million going toward mental health, youth empowerment, and community inclusion throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond, according to a press release. AspenOUT has been able to underwrite more than 600 hours of mental health services from Aspen to Parachute over the past 12 months — up from 300 hours the previous year — and award $44,000 in college scholarships to students in the RFV.

“It’s about doing more as a nonprofit and giving more back to our community,” Kimberly Kuliga, executive director of AspenOUT, told The Aspen Times. 

Kuliga highlighted AspenOUT’s mental health fund in particular, aiming to minimize the financial burden of community members seeking professional support.

“The valley itself has a significantly high suicide rate,” Kuliga said. “When you take the LGBTQIA+, they have an even higher suicide rate. You add onto that how expensive it is to live in the valley, how expensive it is to have healthcare in the valley, and how expensive therapy can be … If we can help minimize that financial burden to families by being able to have this fund accessible, we’re hoping we can really help lower that suicide rate and help people thrive.”

AspenOUT’s Jack Raife Mental Health Fund, named after an Aspen native and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, provides inpatient scholarships and alternative therapy treatments to those in crisis in the valley. Kuliga said she’s seen the impact of these funds change the course of lives — in one example she gave, a youth who hadn’t been to school in a year recently had a photo posted at their homecoming dance.

“They’re big wins,” Kuliga said. “They’re huge wins for these families. I really want our local community to know that there is a way that they can give back.”

Those interested can donate directly to those funds at givebutter.com/0iG6PZ.

Kuliga is also aiming to expand funding options going forward in order to expand community opportunities.

“One of my goals as executive director is to diversify our funding, so that we can do more programming,” she said. “That’s where I see 2026 leading, having more community events.”

AspenOUT has already funded a number of inclusive youth programs this year, including the Youth Winter Inclusive Party, an All-Inclusive Prom, and an Inclusive Hike from Aspen to Rifle.

“Inclusivity to me means that our valley as a whole is a safe space — it’s a safe space for people to live, it’s a safe space for people to be their authentic selves, it’s a welcoming space to travel to, no matter how you identify,” Kuliga said.

And events aren’t just for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but for allies as well.

“We do have allies coming to support, especially our youth events,” Kuliga said. “I think it’s really important that youth see that the community supports them. That is part of inclusivity to us.”

Of course, Aspen Gay Ski Week will be back this upcoming January 2026 as AspenOUT’s largest fundraising event, marking its 49th year.

“That is amazing, the fact that this kind of event has sustained itself for 49 years,” Kuliga said. “The fact that we are still bringing over 5,000 people to the valley for this event is pretty incredible. It says a lot about our valley and how inclusive it is.” 

For more information, go to https://gayskiweek.com.