July 26, 2011

The Tahoe Fund, a new nonprofit that is partnering with public agencies to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of Lake Tahoe, has named five new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the Board this month are:

• Blaise Carrig, the co-president of Vail Resorts, including Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Valley Resort;
• John Friedrich, a former staff member of the Yosemite Conservancy and the League to Save Lake Tahoe;
• Trish Ronald, an environmentalist, long-time League to Save Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Baikal Institute board member, and Bay Area business woman;
• Terry Watt, a conservationist formerly with the San Francisco environmental and land use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger; and
• Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley ski resort.

“This is an impressive group of new board members, both in terms of commitment to Lake Tahoe and the experience they bring to the Tahoe Fund,” said Cindy Gustafson, Tahoe Fund Chair of the Board. “The Tahoe Fund prides itself in having board members that represent every aspect of the Tahoe Basin community.”

Carrig was COO and CEO of Heavenly Valley Resort on Lake Tahoe’s south shore from 2002 to 2010 before being promoted to co-president of Vail Resorts Inc. His knowledge of the Lake Tahoe community and Heavenly’s strong support of Basin organizations such as Sierra Nevada College and the nonprofit Tahoe Baikal Institute have earned Carrig local accolades.

Friedrich advocated for sustainable solutions and citizen engagement on key Tahoe Basin issues while program director at the League in 2007. He has over 20 years experience in non-profit organization leadership, the majority of which has been in the field of environmental and community sustainability.

Ronald helped found the Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water Quality Coalition during her 21 years as a League to Save Lake Tahoe board member, and was instrumental in negotiating support among environmental and community organizations for a revised master plan for Heavenly Valley. She also helped develop the Tahoe Baikal Institute environmental exchange program between the U.S. and Russia.

Watt has worked closely with organizations such as the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) and the Nature Conservancy, and her Terrell Watt Planning Consultants firm has provided planning and land use expertise to numerous state and local organizations. She was awarded the PCL’s prestigious Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement in 2009.

Wirth brings a long-time passion for the mountains, and business and ski industry acumen to the Tahoe Fund board. He was named Squaw CEO in August 2010 after a successful career as a senior executive with Intrawest and Colorado’s Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. A former backcountry ranger, wilderness ranger and Hot Shot fire crew member, Wirth has 25 years of experience working for mountain resort operating companies in North America and Europe.

(Other Tahoe Fund board member bios)

Resorts Launch New Guest Donation Program This Fall, Expect to Raise $75,000 Annually

LAKE TAHOE – August 18, 2011 – The nonprofit Tahoe Fund partnership with Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, called the “Ski Conservation Fund”, will raise an estimated $75,000 annually for the nonprofit Fund to support environmental improvement projects within the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Founded last year, the Tahoe Fund raises private money to supplement the dwindling public funding available for recreation, conservation and education projects in the Lake Tahoe basin. The Fund seeks to help fund bike trails, public parks, restoration projects, interpretive programs, and other amenities that people use and enjoy at the Lake.

“Heavenly and Northstar-at-Tahoe are two world-class recreation destinations as well as highly-respected businesses in the basin,” said Cindy Gustafson, Chair of the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors. “The Tahoe Fund is proud to partner with Vail Resorts in this extraordinary program to raise money for on-the-ground projects that restore and enhance Tahoe’s natural and recreational resources for Lake Tahoe’s visitors and residents.”

Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar-at-Tahoe, through their company’s stewardship program, Vail Resorts Echo, will launch the voluntary guest donation program that enables guests to contribute $1 on the purchase of a variety of resort activities and amenities including season pass sales, online ticket purchases, lodging and golf.

“We have a strong commitment to preserving and enhancing the iconic locations that surround our resorts,” said Blaise Carrig, Co-President for Vail Resorts Mountain Division. “Through Vail Resorts Echo, our company’s stewardship program, we are building a legacy of supporting on-the-ground environmental restoration and enhancement work that makes a direct tangible difference in our communities. Partnering with organizations that share our mission, like The Tahoe Fund, exemplifies the spirit of VR Echo.”

“The guest donation program has proven to be very successful at enabling Vail Resorts to both raise money and awareness for critical projects in the areas around our resorts,” said Carrig. “Together with our guests, we are excited to be able to make a commitment that resonates throughout the entire Basin. Because we can’t wait to see the on-the-ground benefits, we plan on making the first round of Ski Conservation Fund grants in early 2012 so that we can start to make a meaningful difference for Lake Tahoe and all those who love and cherish it.”

About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company’s subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company’s subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and in the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

New Major Founding Donors Announced at Tahoe Fund Kickoff Dinner Event

LAKE TAHOE – August 16, 2011 – The nonprofit Tahoe Fund announced funding for its first Lake Tahoe environmental improvement projects last night at its kickoff dinner at the West Shore Cafe in Homewood (CA). The Fund will provide:

• $25,000 to support operations of the new Van Sickle Bi-State Park at the south shore state line,
• $20,000 for a portion of the Class 1 Lakeside Bicycle Trail at Tahoe City, and
• $5,000 to fund publication of the annual University of California at Davis State of the Lake Report.

The Tahoe Fund dinner, honoring its major founding donors and attended by 180 people including Senator Dianne Feinstein, California Governor Jerry Brown and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, also highlighted two major Founders Circle donations.

• Heavenly Mountain Resorts and Northstar-At Tahoe through Vail Resorts Echo, the Vail Resorts stewardship program, will provide approximately $75,000 a year through a guest donation program.
• The Robert S. & Dorothy J. Keyser Foundation of Nevada will donate $25,000 a year for four years to support Tahoe Fund operations.

The Tahoe Fund also announced that the Blum Family Foundation donated $50,000 to jump start the Fund. Dick Blum and his wife, Senator Dianne Feinstein, expressed early support for the Tahoe Fund concept of a public-private partnership to implement projects.

“Every single one of our major founding donors should be commended for giving us a solid start to funding on-the-ground environmental improvement projects in the Tahoe basin,” said Cindy Gustafson, Tahoe Fund chair of the board. “The three projects we announced are just the beginning. This year and in the years to come we will be funding many more projects, including some that are very substantial.”

The Tahoe Fund is currently analyzing potential projects to determine priority and feasibility. “We will very carefully consider projects that restore and enhance the natural and recreational resources available to residents and visitors at Lake Tahoe,” said Gustafson.

Founded last year, the Tahoe Fund raises private money to supplement the dwindling public funding available for recreation, conservation and education projects in the Lake Tahoe basin. The Fund seeks to help fund bike trails, public parks, restoration projects, interpretive programs, and other amenities that people use and enjoy at the Lake.

About the Robert S. & Dorothy J. Keyser Foundation
Bob and Dottie Keyser chose to live their life together seeking better conditions for humankind and by sharing themselves with others less fortunate. Through the love and generosity of its founders, the Keyser Foundation has been able to significantly help countless organizations that represent a much larger ideal of what it truly means to embrace one another with open arms and a full heart.

Bob Keyser passed away on December 16, 1994 in Las Vegas, and Dottie passed away on October 8, 2002. The Keyser Foundation has since been lead or stewarded by Blake Smith (cherished family friend and foundation chairman), Tim Cashman and Mike Melarky, and has donated to countless organizations though the Keyser family, charitable and foundation trusts.

About Vail Resorts Echo
Aimed at both protecting the beautiful natural resources that surrounds the resorts and helping build stronger communities where our employees live and work, the Company’s stewardship program encompasses three core efforts – environmental stewardship, charitable giving and community engagement.

Heavenly Mountain Resorts and Northstar-At Tahoe have committed to launching a new guest donation program to benefit The Tahoe Fund. Launching this fall, the program will raise funds through a voluntary guest donation program in which guests can contribute $1 on the purchase of a variety of resort activities and amenities including season pass sales, online tickets purchases, Northstar-At-Tahoe lodging and golf.