VAIL, Colo. - A Denver ski club called Ski Noir 5280 is working to diversify Colorado's mountains by making sure more Coloradans have access to the state’s ski slopes, regardless of race and economic status.
“Skiing is probably one of the most expensive sports that I know that I participated in. Everything costs, from going up the mountain, the gas to get there, to lift tickets to go up the mountain, the gear that you may have, it’s not cheap,” Quincy Shannon, Ski Noir 5280’s President and co-founder said.
Shannon said Ski Noir wants to remove the financial barriers to skiing for millennials and people from underrepresented communities.
“Out of my own checkbook, just started buying coats, just started buying jackets, trying to buy ski pants, and then by a blessing was able to partner with some other groups,” Shannon said.
Eldora Mountain Resort provided skis, Patagonia and The North Face offered discounts, and several more partnerships resulted in lift tickets and ski lessons.
But Ski Noir needed a few more items, including gloves.
Thanks to Denver7 Gives, and generous donations from viewers, Denver7 gave the ski club nearly 100 pairs of gloves and a $500 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card.
“Amazing, amazing….this is, wow,” Shannon said. “This is a gift that's not for me. It's for the community. And I'm really excited to see a bunch of people are able to utilize this. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Shannon said the gift will help Ski Noir reach its goal of removing the invisible barrier that surrounds Colorado’s winter playgrounds.
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