Play Forever celebrates and enables actions that support our surrounding mountain community and the nearby Salt Lake Valley. There are many ways to Play Forever – we hope you join the cause by volunteering, contributing items or investing financially in impacting lives in the surrounding community for the better.
Snowbird is excited to continue its work within the local community through our weekly give-back program called Play Forever Wednesdays . As a part of this initiative, $5 of every ticket sale on qualifying Wednesdays will be donated to a local organization. During the 2023-24 season, Snowbird is supporting more organizations than ever, with 21 organizations each receiving at least $2,000.
To incentivize carpooling, which helps limit traffic congestion and promotes sustainable travel, Snowbird offers cars with 4+ passengers designated parking spots and a variety of surprise giveaways. On select dates throughout the winter, carpoolers are surprised with Fast Tracks upgrades, gas gift cards, swag and breakfast burritos.
The local communities surrounding Snowbird are a part of what makes time spent here so special. When COVID-19 struck, we saw a need for assistance in our communities and worked to help meet it. Since then, local relief has become a pillar of our Play Forever initiatives, working with the Utah Food Bank, Murray City School District and other local organizations to help make a difference.
At Snowbird, we know skiing, snowboarding and access to the outdoors are unbeatable experiences that should be shared with everyone. To encourage more people of different abilities and different backgrounds to get involved, Snowbird works with local and national organizations to provide resources to increase participation in winter sports and outdoor activities.
Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS), an organization that empowers people with disabilities to get into the outdoors through a variety of recreational activities, claims its home base as Snowbird. In the winter, children, adults and veterans can participate in adaptive ski lessons. WAS also hosts several events here at Snowbird, including the Steve Young Classic and SitBird Sit Ski Camp, which provide designated time and space for adaptive athletes to meet and learn together.
Snowbird also partners with Ski Utah and the Discover Winter program. The program aims to foster a life-long love of skiing and snowboarding amongst Utah's ethnically diverse community. People of color who live in Utah can apply to receive 4 complimentary ski or snowboard lessons, rental equipment and a Ski Utah Yeti Pass.
Additional Snowbird partners that are committed to the Play Forever mentality include the High Fives Foundation, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation and SOS Outreach.
The environment is an integral resource for those who call Snowbird home. It's what allows us to play, work and enjoy the mountain day after day. We know that it's important to protect it now so we can continue to enjoy it far into the future. Our own commitment to protecting our mountain coupled with strategic partnerships with leading organizations such as Protect Our Winters, Breathe Utah and the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation are setting us up for seasons to come.
Play Forever in Action
Snowbird supports our community through financial contributions, in-kind giving and volunteering to strengthen the places we live, work and play.
Snowbird Powers Up
Since 1986, Snowbird has been the only resort in North America to operate a cogeneration plant. Thanks to Snowbird Power Systems, the new and improved facility will power The Cliff Lodge, Snowbird Center, The Aerial Tram and other chairlifts.
- Snowbird Power Systems enables Snowbird to avoid coal and instead uses natural gas, which emits about 50% less carbon dioxide
- The carbon dioxide emissions saved by SPS is tis equivalent to burning over 4 million pounds of coal a year
- Snowbird Power Systems covers over 90% of Snowbird's summer energy needs
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Leading The Way
Play Forever began as Play it Forward. It initially was a means to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 where anyone could contribute to through volunteering, carrying out small acts of kindness, providing items in need and donating to Snowbird’s Play It Forward Fund.
Snowbird’s first grant from the Play It Forward Fund was a $100,000 donation to the Utah Food Bank.
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Taking Care of Our Own
When Snowbird shut down during the COVID-19 Pandemic, we made an effort to take care of our own by holding a food drive for our family of 1,900 employees.
As a result of the shutdown Snowbird had 10,000 pounds of food about to go to waste. Five tons of that food was given to Snowbird’s full- and part-time staff.
“It was important that the food on hand went to the Snowbird family," says Snowbird's Communications Manager. "We were taking care of our own."
This Land Was Made For You and Me
Snowbird helps partners provide the community with a place to recreate by supporting conservation projects within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
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Food for Views
Snowbird takes our responsibility to support the community surrounding Little Cottonwood Canyon to heart by helping eradicate food insecurity. Yearly, Snowbird hosts Tram rides in exchange for canned food that is donated to the Utah Food Bank.
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Awards & Accomplishments
Snowbird has received dozens of state and national awards in environmental sustainability. Snowbird’s ongoing commitment to Play Forever has helped Snowbird become an industry leader in sustainability efforts.
Utah Association of Energy Users Award 2023
Snowbird Power Systems was awarded the Utah Association of Energy Users Award in 2023 for outstanding leadership in energy efficiency and conservation.
National Recognition Award 2023
Awarded to Snowbird Power Systems by the American Council of Engineering Companies, the National Recognition Award is a prestigious distinction honoring projects demonstrating exceptional engineering excellence at the national level.
Climate Advocacy Badge 2023
Excellence in climate advocacy through supporting climate policy and innovative solutions that further the transition to a clean energy economy.
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Climate Action Badge 2023
Excellence in climate action for satisfactory tracked and reduced carbon emissions.
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Gold RCI Green Award 2020
Third-party eco-certification expert GreenCircle Certified, LLC selected Snowbird as one of their winners based on our innovations in energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach and environmental management.
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America's 10 Most Eco-Friendly Ski Resorts
Named by Outside Magazine Online in 2018.
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Climate Action Badge 2020
Recognizing our commitment to track, target and reduce carbon emissions.
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Climate Advocacy Badge 2020
Recognizing our commitment to support climate policy that will result in broad-scale carbon emission reductions, promote energy innovation and support the transition to a clean energy economy.
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POW Day Award 2017
Awarded by Protect Our Winters for encouraging skiers and riders to carpool, take UTA or ride-share to help lower CO2 emissions, reduce traffic congestion and increase the overall awareness around environmental accountability.
"A" Grade 2008
The Ski Area Citizen’s Coalition awarded Snowbird an “A” grade after surveying the resort’s environmental commitment to a number of categories, including its footprint, development plans, protection of local species and environment, water and energy conservation, transportation and other key areas.
1st Private Mining Cleanup in Utah
With partners Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service and Tiffany & Co., Snowbird made history by becoming the first private landowner in Utah to help fund a mining-era clean-up effort to eliminate tailings that were affecting the American Fork watershed.
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Play Forever Donations
The Snowbird Play Forever Fund was created to provide funding in support of our community successfully navigating challenging times and continuing to thrive for generations to come.
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