Widely held social customs dictate that the traditional gift for a 30th anniversary is pearl. What begins as a small speck eventually emerges as a rare and valued gemstone.
So it is with the Vail Valley Foundation as well, as the nonprofit organization celebrates its 30th anniversary January 20. What began as a tiny offshoot of Vail Associates in 1981 quickly blossomed into a vibrant and vital component of life in the Vail Valley.
Created as part of the marketing arm of Vail Associates, the Foundation was initially formed with a goal of returning international ski racing to the Vail Valley. However, the organization soon assumed a leadership role in the community, as well as its own identity, supporting programs that private business and public office could not.
The Vail Valley Foundation quickly made its mark on the valley, planting the seeds for the event that would come to be known as the American Ski Classic in 1981, while also hosting the AEI World Forum, an “unofficial summit” of former world leaders, current government officials and international corporate executives, headed up by former President Gerald R. Ford.
As the Vail Valley Foundation grew, so also did its scope of focus. In 1983, World Cup ski racing did indeed return to Vail and has been an annual visitor ever since. Other athletic offerings have included the 1989, 1999 and now the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, as well as the 1994 and 2001 World Mountain Bike Championships.
From a cultural perspective, the Vail Valley Foundation has played an equally significant role. In 1985, the Foundation agreed to take over the fundraising and construction responsibilities for a new open-air amphitheater, located in Ford Park. Two years later, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater officially opened its doors, ushering in a new era for the performing arts in the Vail Valley. That same summer, the Bud Light Hot Summer Nights free concert series was born.
And, from an educational standpoint, the Foundation has established the largest collegiate scholarship program in the valley, with over $1.4 million raised and distributed since 1992.
On the front end of the valley’s educational spectrum, 2005 saw the creation of the organization’s Success at Six program that ensures that every family in Eagle County has the opportunity to enroll their children in full-day kindergarten. Other current educational initiatives include Celebrate the Beat, Sowing Seeds, the Magic Bus and First Notes, along with the Vilar Center’s STARS (Support the Arts Reaching Students) program.
From somewhat humble beginnings, the Vail Valley Foundation has emerged from the shell as a welcome and necessary component of the day-to-day fabric that is the Vail Valley. Given 30 years of history and perspective, it is hard to imagine what this community would look like had the Vail Valley Foundation never been created.
