Funds raised will support environmental improvement projects in the Tahoe Basin

Guests of Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood are making sure that their time on the slopes is positively impacting the environment through Vail Resort’s EpicPromise Guest Donation Program. By donating a dollar when purchasing online lift tickets, season passes, lodging and rounds of golf over the past twelve months, guests at these Vail Resorts locations have raised more than $187,000 for the Tahoe Fund to support environmental improvement projects.

“We are thrilled to see how much our guests care about giving back to Tahoe,” said Tom Fortune, VP and COO of Heavenly Mountain Resort and the Tahoe Region. “Through these dollar donations and our EpicPromise program, our guests make it easy for us to support the Tahoe Fund’s work to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.” 

The Tahoe Fund supports environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, expand sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has funded over 80 environmental improvement projects. 

Over the past decade, Kirkwood Ski Resort, Heavenly Mountain Resort and Vail Resorts EpicPromise have contributed over $927,000 to the Tahoe Fund. Dollar donations from Vail Resorts guests have supported projects like the Lily Lake Trail, a 2.1-mile multi-use trail on Angora Ridge; the 72-mile scuba cleanup of Lake Tahoe’s entire shoreline; and the restoration of the 206-acre Johnson Meadow in South Lake Tahoe. In the coming months, Kirkwood, Heavenly and the Tahoe Fund team will determine which upcoming projects this round of funding will support. 

“We are beyond grateful for the guests at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood resorts,” said Cory Ritchie, chair of the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors. “Their generosity and the continued support of Vail Resorts makes it possible for us to preserve this mountain treasure for future generations.” 

Learn more about the Tahoe Fund and its current and completed projects at www.tahoefund.org.

Photos by Katey Hamill/Northstar California Resort

Lake Tahoe charter service to donate funds for every hour in the air

The only local private aviation charter company in Lake Tahoe is joining forces with one of the region’s non-profit organizations to support projects that help lower and sequester carbon emissions. Mountain Lion Aviation will donate money for every hour flown to the Tahoe Fund. These funds will support environmental improvement projects in the Tahoe Basin. 

“We’re all locals. We all love living here and we all wanted to do something to help preserve this beautiful place we call home,” says Chris Barbera, CEO of Mountain Lion Aviation. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our members and clients, and as a deep appreciation for them, and a love for our home, we decided to support the Tahoe Fund this way – the more we fly, the more we donate.”

The Tahoe Fund will use these donations to support projects in three key focus areas that are directly tied to carbon reduction: 

• Forest Health: Forest health projects reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and its polluting emissions, and create a healthier forest better able to sequester carbon. 
• Transportation: More public transportation reduces vehicle miles traveled and carbon emissions.
• Wetlands Restoration: Restoring watersheds has a number of benefits in Lake Tahoe: improving lake clarity, reducing the prevalence of aquatic invasive species, mitigating fire and flood risk, increasing groundwater storage, strengthening habitat and ecological health, providing more opportunities for recreation, and critically, sequestering carbon. 

“It’s great to see a local business like Mountain Lion Aviation step up to make a difference,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Every hour they spend in the air will help us get more work done on the ground to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.” 

Some of the projects that will benefit include: the Smartest Forest Fund, which supports innovative projects and new technology to improve forest health; TART Connect, which offers free, on-demand public transportation across the region; and the Greater Upper Truckee Watershed Restoration, the largest and most impaired watershed in the region. To learn more about the various programs funded by Tahoe Fund, visit: www.tahoefund.org

About Mountain Lion Aviation: Mountain Lion Aviation, an elite, personalized charter aircraft service and certified Cirrus Training Center, started in 2017 in Truckee, CA. Mountain Lion Aviation provides a multifaceted approach to current and future pilots along with servicing the communities’ mobility needs. The Mountain Lion Aviation experience allows people to get where they are going efficiently, effectively and safely. To learn more, please visit www.mountainlion.aero. To book personalized charter services or Cirrus flight training with the Mountain Lion team, please email info@mountainlion.aero or call at (530) 655-1100.

About the Tahoe Fund: The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit founded in 2010 to support environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, enhance sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of its donors, the Tahoe Fund has leveraged more than $10 million in private funds to secure more than $60 million in public funds for more than 80 environmental projects. The projects include new sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restoration of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, forest health projects, new hiking trails, and stewardship programs. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org. 

Tahoe Nature For All Program will provide guided outdoor experiences for hundreds of local youth and adults, thanks to support from Tahoe Fund and Palisades Tahoe

To provide opportunities for underserved community members of all ages to connect with nature, the Tahoe Fund has partnered with the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) to bring a new pilot program to life. Aligned with the State of California’s Outdoor Access for All initiative, the Tahoe’s Nature for All program will provide immersive experiences to hundreds of people who do not currently have access to the outdoors.

“It’s easy to assume that those who live in close proximity to Tahoe’s trails and recreation activities have the same level of access as everyone else. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund board chair. “By funding the Tahoe Nature for All program, our hope is that more people in our community will be able to experience the benefits of Tahoe’s natural beauty.”

Part of the funding provided by the Tahoe Fund for TINS’ Tahoe Nature for All program comes from Palisades Tahoe. The resort participates in the $1 for Tahoe program, which allows guests to support conservation, recreation, and stewardship education throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Truckee River Watershed through their purchase of lift tickets and season passes. This year, these contributions from Palisades Tahoe will be earmarked for the Tahoe Nature for All program. In addition to their financial support, Palisades Tahoe will also host one of the nature experiences at High Camp in late August. 

“Our employees and our guests are passionate about doing all we can to inspire others to enjoy the outdoors. We realize the value that comes from connecting with nature not only for an individual’s own personal well-being, but for that of the greater community,” said Dee Byrne, president and COO of Palisades Tahoe. “Supporting this effort is a meaningful way to put funds raised through our guest donation program to work.”

In the inaugural year of the program, the experts at Tahoe Institute for Natural Science will provide free nature experience programs in partnership with four nonprofit and educational partner organizations. This includes:

• Six field programs for regional youth between the ages of six and 13 who experience symptoms of anxiety and depression in partnership with The Courage Project.
• 10 days of programming with the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe will give South Lake Tahoe youth unique opportunities to learn natural history and take part in facilitated nature immersion experiences.
• Six programs with Sierra Community House will offer guided nature experiences to survivors of abuse, underserved women and youth, Spanish speaking communities, and families that might not generally have access to nature for a variety of reasons.
• Five days of field trip programming for two fifth grade classes at Incline Elementary School, which serves a diverse student population with 51% Hispanic students, 39% English Language Learners, 33% of students qualifying for free and reduced meals, and 16% of students with disabilities.

“We wish to serve as many people as possible through connections with both nature and each other, as it encourages everyone involved to improve our community and to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Will Richardson, TINS co-founder and executive director. “Our hope is that the success of these programs will result in the opportunity to partner with additional community-focused organizations, break down past barriers to our programming, and reach additional sectors of our community in the future.”

Donations support the Tahoe Fund’s efforts to improve the Tahoe environment for all to enjoy

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (DATE, 2021) – Building new trails. Maintaining existing ones. Creating healthier forests. Supporting programs that get more kids outdoors. Helping to take care of Tahoe. Encouraging greater stewardship. The Tahoe Fund’s $1 for Tahoe program is making a big difference by offering a way to give back to Lake Tahoe one dollar at a time. Guest driven donations, collected by partner resorts, restaurants and other local businesses, have now surpassed the one million dollar mark.

“We are blown away by the support local businesses and their patrons have shown for Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “This milestone shows how small acts of kindness of just $1 can have a huge impact. We are beyond grateful to our business partners for helping us collect these donations.”

The $1 for Tahoe program was started to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Tahoe’s extraordinary environment. Participating local businesses collect dollars from their guests through their purchases of lift tickets, hotel accommodations, food and drink, and other items. Donations collected are then contributed to the Tahoe Fund’s efforts to support hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, environmental stewardship programs and so much more.

“I am proud that Vail Resorts has been a supporter of the Tahoe Fund since its onset and I look forward to our continued partnership,” said Deirdra Walsh, vice president and general manager of Northstar California Resort. “Guests who visit Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood have the opportunity to donate through a variety of ways, and we provide those contributions to the Tahoe Fund. We’re fortunate to operate within the Tahoe Basin and support all efforts to preserve our wonderful natural environment.”

$1 for Tahoe partners include:  Alpen Sierra Coffee, Bar of America, Big Blue Adventure, Blue Angel Cafe and Catering, Caliente, Edgewood Tahoe, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Heavenly Lake Tahoe, Homewood Mountain Resort, Julia Szendrei Jewelry, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Lakeside Inn and Casino, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, Lake Tahoe Yoga, Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa, Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, Native To This Place, Northstar California, PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, Raley’s, Riva Grill, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Tahoe Exclusive Vacation Rentals, Tahoe Getaways, Tahoe South, West Shore Cafe, and Winter WonderGrass.

Click here to see how far your $1 for Tahoe can go.

Learn more about the $1 for Tahoe program and the Tahoe Fund at www.tahoefund.org. If you are a business who is interested in joining the $1 for Tahoe program, please contact Amy Berry at aberry@tahoefund.org.