Vail Resorts has launched a diversity program [2], offering 1,600 ski school scholarships and free ski passes to local and front range minority children. 100 local kids will receive "a season pass, 15 days of lessons, rentals and lunches." There are 1,500 one day scholarships for those from the front range. The program is being offered at Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge. Dee Byrne, director of Vail Ski and Snowboard School, says:

With minority groups making up a larger percentage of the nation's population, Vail Resorts recognizes the need to appeal to those groups...."As the demographics in the United States change and the population becomes more mixed, we need to make sure we're reaching out to citizens of all colors as a sport in order to sustain participation in the future".... A big part of that is including workers in the community who do not ski, Byrne said.

In 2005, the number of minorities in Colorado was 29%. I hope this gets more attention in the media. It's good to see a big corporation like Vail Resorts give back to the community.