We’re used to seeing volunteers doling out chili in soup kitchens or spearing plastic bottles in park cleanups. But here's a volunteer twist: The Vail Ski Challenge, a charity-driven competition where 13 local business and civic leaders race against one another to gain the most vertical feet. 

This season’s teams have been picked and consist of a team leader, six avid skiers or snowboarders, and one Colorado-based charity. The four teams who accumulate the most vertical feet will split $250,000 of Vail Resorts corporate donation money. While it’s too late to rack up vertical feet by dropping down double diamonds, there’s still a way to help your favorite charities push to the top.

The Vail Social Media Challenge allows you to vote for your favorite group; then those votes are converted into vertical feet. Each person is allowed one vote per day, and 50 votes is the equivalent to 10,000 vertical feet. So, if you missed the team deadline—or maybe you're more of a summer sports enthusiast—then here’s your chance to contribute.

Get Involved: Find Vail Resorts on Facebook and go to the Vail Ski Challenge page. Read up on the teams and charities, then—this is the hardest part—decide which charity you find most worthy. Voting closes April 2 at 5 p.m., so cast your votes daily until then. Kudos to Vail Resorts—they may be taking over the skiing world one resort at a time, but the corporation is also giving back in a big way. 

—Image courtesy of Vail Resorts