Donations help outfit over 400 Roaring Fork Valley youth skiers, snowboarders

Roaring Fork Valley youth skiers and snowboarders are geared up and ready to send it.

More than 400 Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club athletes were connected with many tools of trade during Saturday’s annual Aspen Supports Kids Equipment Day. Held at two locations, Gorsuch Café in Aspen and Four Mountain Sports Buttermilk, young skiers and boarders were outfitted with hundreds of donated items.

The athletes will use the gear for their winter-season lessons with AVSC’s Aspen Supports Kids recreational program.

“While I feel incredibly proud and lucky to get over 1,600 athletes on the snow in our recreational programs each year, this day really tops the list of some of my favorite days of the year,” Meredith Elwell, director of the Aspen Supports Kids Program, said in a news release. “The excitement, gratitude and joy is palpable amongst these athletes and their families, and I think the snow helped a bit with that too!”

Over 160 snowboards and boots were donated for the season by Aspen Snowmass Four Mountain Sports, while nearly 300 skis, boots and poles were donated by Gorsuch, according to the release.

“We greatly appreciate our partners at Gorsuch and Four Mountain Sports for their incredibly generous support of our athletes and our mission,” AVSC Executive Director Dave Baugh said in the release.