AVSC provides gear to over 350 local youth with annual equipment day
Two events ran this weekend in partnership with Gorsuch, Aspen Snowmass
Courtesy photo
The line creeping around the corner of Gondola Plaza in Aspen on Saturday morning wasn’t due to a powder day quite yet.
Instead, it was the next best thing — Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club’s annual Aspen Supports Kids Equipment Day at the Gorsuch Ski Cafe for skis, while another one ran out of Four Mountain Sports at Buttermilk for snowboards.
“This is the core of what we’re all about,” Executive Director August Teague said in a press release. “We want every single youth in the greater Roaring Fork Valley to experience our mountains and the joy and passion they offer. We couldn’t make this day possible without the tremendous longtime support of Gorsuch and Four Mountain Sports, who provided all the gear.”
AVSC and its partners were able to provide equipment to youth who traveled from as far away as Silt, according to the release.
“With snow guns blasting in the background, youth at Gorsuch climbed up onto boot-fitting platforms, unaware that they were being outfitted by Olympians, World Cup champions, members of the Gorsuch family, and some of the best competitive coaches in the nation,” the release reads.
At Four Mountain Sports, Aspen’s Snowmass’ rental retail team and AVSC’s Snowboard team assisted with finding youth the perfect fit to feel confident and prepared for the season ahead.
The ASK Equipment Day provided over 210 sets of skis and poles and over 140 snowboard and boot sets, Aspen Supports Kids Director Meredith Elwell confirmed in the release. Eligible families previously submitted applications for assistance in August to receive this gear scholarship.
AVSC offers over $800,000 annually, on average, in financial aid to qualifying applicants — this ranges from scholarships for programming costs to free bus transportation for weekend programs, and providing gear for the season to qualifying applicants.
“With the generosity of our partners, nearly 400 young athletes now will be able to participate in the foundational activities of our mountain community,” said Elwell. “A lot of hard work and genuine care by so many people goes into making a day like this possible. These efforts are a true reflection of our community’s strength, pride, and commitment to our valley youth.”
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