Winter Sports School receives capital campaign support from U.S. Ski & Snowboard

The Winter Sports School announced Monday that it received a generous donation from U.S. Ski & Snowboard toward its $5 million Reaching New Peaks capital campaign.

The Reaching New Peaks capital campaign will include an 8,732-square-foot expansion to the current building, renovations to existing spaces and an amphitheater that will be available as a community-focused gathering space, the organization said. Pending funding, the project will begin this fall.

According to the school, it has raised $2.8 million to date and is reaching out to the community and winter sports industry to raise the remaining $2.2 million necessary to begin the project this fall. There are currently 24 student-athletes who are active U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team members who have benefitted from a tuition-free, college preparatory education at the school since 2014, the organization reports.

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“This commitment from U.S. Ski & Snowboard lends credibility to our expansion project and reinforces the natural partnership between our two organizations, as many of our student-athletes have earned the privilege of competing for our national teams,” said Whalen Louis, Winter Sports School board of trustees president. “We hope it will garner additional donors to help us raise the funds needed to get this project underway. We’ve reached student capacity, and with the anticipated announcement of Salt Lake City as the host site for the 2034 Winter Olympics, we must act now to accommodate expected enrollment growth.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Revenue and Philanthropic Officer Trisha Worthington said they organization is grateful that the school can educate student-athletes during summer months. “They are the only public charter high school in the U.S. with an April to November academic calendar, which fosters a dynamic pipeline of well-educated, highly trained athletes with the potential to compete on our teams for years to come.”

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s donation comes through its Community Task Force, a group formed in 2022 to support nonprofits in the organization’s home of Park City, the group said. Throughout the last two years, the Community Task Force has been focused on donations to programs that are increasing broad-based participation and retention in local youth sport.  

“Having been both a WSS student and a U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete, I appreciate this commitment from U.S. Ski & Snowboard to the WSS Reaching New Peaks capital campaign for expansion,” saidTed Ligety, 2002 WSS graduate, retired American ski racer, two-time Olympic Gold medalist and co-founder of Shred Optics. “I’ve seen the school and community move through different chapters of growth together, and the next one is the most exciting yet. This drive for expansion coincides with the prospect of another hometown Olympics, and the students sitting in class today in the WSS are among the competitors for life you’ll see on the world stage in the near future.” 

The school is in its 31st year of operation with 110 student-athletes currently enrolled. The school said it offers “a unique tuition-free educational experience that meets a growing need within the community.”

Because of its charter status, the school said, it receives “considerably less funding per student than the public school district.” For that reason, private contributions are “critical in allowing exceptional student-athletes the opportunity to ‘chase greatness’ in the classroom in concert with their athletic endeavors.”