Arapahoe Basin, CO – Arapahoe Basin ski area will hold their second annual Save Our Snow Celebration tomorrow, showcasing the Colorado ski area’s and other like-minded companies’ environmental initiatives. Events and displays will be part of this environmentally friendly day which will benefit High Country Conservation Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to minimizing waste and conserving resources in Summit County, Colo., and surrounding areas.nA green village set up in the base area will give guests the opportunity to speak with representatives from the High Country Conservation Center, Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, Grant Family Farms, Renewable Choice, Clif Bar, Protect Our Winters and more. There will be renewable energy demonstrations by Innovative Energy and Heatmeister.
A-Basin will hold a raffle to benefit the High Country Conservation Center with an A-Basin season pass, skis, Marmot gear and other items at 2:00 p.m. Smokey the Bear will also be in the base area and will have goody bags for the first 50 children that find him. Alan Henceroth, A-Basin’s General Manager, will be giving an on-mountain tour of Montezuma Bowl at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the expansion and key environmental factors of the project.
A-Basin’s Environmental Manager, Sha Miklas, says, “The Save Our Snow Celebration is an event to educate our guests, collaborate with our partners and to have fun! It is very important to realize how the choices we make each day will affect our future. Hopefully this event will open some eyes and we can impact how others live.”
In late 2008, Arapahoe Basin teamed up with the High Country Conservation Center to form the “Snow Huggers Club.” The purpose of Snow Huggers is to raise money to fund environmentally focused projects, which include education in schools, energy audits, educational material and composting workshops. Membership, which usually costs $20, includes discounts at the ski area including a half priced lift ticket and rental and lesson discounts. On April 10 only, A-Basin will be offering a membership to the Snow Huggers club and a lift ticket for that day for $50.
Arapahoe Basin made the decision in mid-March 2009 to compost restaurant food waste in the Legends Cafe. Approximately 3000 pounds of food waste is diverted from the landfill every month through this composting project. During the Save Our Snow Celebration, guests will be encouraged to compost their leftover food items in hopes that one day Arapahoe Basin will have ski area-wide composting.