Crested Butte, CO – Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), in conjunction with StraightOut Media & Marketing and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, is gearing up to host its inaugural gay skiing event: “Butte 11: Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week,” Mar. 19 to 26.nThe weeklong celebration features a comprehensive itinerary including après ski tubing, a “Shoot the Butte” pub crawl, the Splash Pool Party, ski hook ups, opportunities to learn more about the education, advocacy and awareness work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and the chance to check out O.A.R. at the inaugural FestEVOL event on Mar. 26.

“We are all looking forward to this event,” said Daren Cole, vice president of sales and marketing for CBMR. “The timing is perfect for a sunny spring getaway and we hope our event guests will be awed by all that Crested Butte has to offer.”

In addition to a well-rounded event schedule, Butte 11 also allows participants to give back to the Matthew Shepard Foundation; a percentage of lodging and lift revenue generated through the event will be donated to the Foundation.

“This new event provides the perfect vehicle for communicating the education, advocacy and awareness work of the Foundation,” said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Mathew Shepard Foundation. “This is a large scale opportunity to bring attention to our mission.”

Production of Butte 11 will be led by StraightOut Media & Marketing (SOMM), group that creates GLBT-focused events and programs in Colorado.

“We look forward to creating a signature event for the Matthew Shepard Foundation that raises not only awareness but also contributions to the organization,” said Scott Barretto, co-founder of SOMM. “Crested Butte is known for its superb spring skiing so the sun and the snow will make for a unique gay ski week experience like no other.”