5 Play Forever Initiatives of the 2020-21 Season at Snowbird

The 2020-21 season was one for the books in more ways than one. Skiers and riders masked up, added hand sanitizer to their on-mountain must-haves and finally learned how to use QR codes all while enjoying the steeps & deeps that make Snowbird exceptional. However, the 2020-21 season was memorable for another reason as well: our intention to Play Forever. 

“The effects of climate change are a tangible reality that we face every day.” -Snowbird President and General Manager Dave Fields.

Play Forever is Snowbird’s corporate responsibility promise where we commit to protecting the environment and supporting our communities. We want to enjoy the mountains forever and understand that climate change could affect how we spend time outdoors in the future. We believe that everyone has a responsibility to maintain the places we love so that future generations can Play Forever. 

Here are 5 of the Play Forever initiatives that Snowbird engaged in throughout the 2020-21 season: 

1. Buy a Pass. Plant a Tree. Play Forever. 

   The  Buy a Pass. Plant a Tree. Play Forever. initiative, in collaboration with POWDR and Snowbird partner Nokian Tyres, honored both our passholders and our desire to protect the environment by planting a tree for every season pass sold at all POWDR resorts before September 30, 2020. Together with other POWDR resorts, Snowbird and Nokian Tyres planted over 50,000 trees on behalf of season passholders by teaming up with  One Tree Planted.
    

2. Play It Forward Wednesdays

   Every Wednesday from February 17 - April 21, 2021, Snowbird donated $5 of every qualified ticket purchase to a designated non-profit that focused on causes close to Snowbird including local relief, environmental initiatives and encouraging inclusive participation in the outdoors. Play It Forward Wednesdays helped raise over $13,000 for Wasatch Adaptive Sports, Utah Food Bank, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, SOS Outreach and more!

   

    

3. Composting Program 

   Beginning in March 2021, Snowbird launched a 6-week pilot composting program to cut down on the amount of trash that we added to landfills. Once a week during the winter, Momentum Recycling picked up 35-gallon and 64-gallon bins from Snowbird and Alta filled with leftover fries, eggshells and other food scraps to be transformed into nutrients that can be used for future fruits and veggies to grow. Collectively, Snowbird and Alta composted over 15,000 pounds of food during the pilot program! Employees were so stoked on the program that the composting started back up this summer and expanded to more restaurants.
    

4. Snowbird Employee Food Drive

   On April 5-12, 2021, Snowbird employees held a food drive to benefit the Murray City School District and Parkside Elementary Principal’s Pantry. The Murray City School District was disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and created critical food insecurity amongst their community. Snowbird wanted to help support our local community and rallied our employees to donate over a pallet of food for the families affected.
    

   

5. Little Cottonwood Canyon Clean-Up

   This year marked the 40th annual Little Cottonwood Canyon Clean-Up! Over 200 volunteers from Snowbird, Alta and the Town of Alta came together on June 15 to pick up trash along Highway 210. One of Snowbird’s core values is being protective stewards of our environment, and the LCC Clean-Up is one way that we can give back to the mountain we all love.
    

About the Author

Once an aspiring prima ballerina, Lindsey Steed retired her pointe shoes to pursue a "normal" lifestyle. She now works as the Marketing Coordinator at Snowbird where she can utilize her creativity and discipline while administering the launch, execution and evaluation of Snowbird’s marketing campaigns and promotions. 

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