Fifteen years ago, Nordic enthusiast Martha Robertson, of Peru, Vermont, combined her passion for skiing with her passion for helping others in need to create “Ski for Heat.” What started out as a local “ski-a-thon” in southwestern Vermont to raise $100 to help one family with heating fuel assistance has broadened its scope to aid low-income Vermonters throughout the state.
Today, Ski for Heat is a series of winter events that include alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing fundraisers at participating Vermont ski resorts and Nordic centers. While fundraising takes place through the season, Sunday, January 25th is this year’s designated Ski for Heat day, with activities scheduled at a number of ski areas around Vermont (details can be found at www.skiforheat.org).
To date, Ski for Heat has raised more than $300,000 to benefit hundreds of Vermont families. “The need for assistance is staggering,” commented Robertson. “Being warm is a basic need, yet many in our area either are without it, or have it at the expense of another basic living necessity, such as food or medicine. This collaborative effort—with the generous support of so many committed businesses and individuals—is striving to change that.”
According to Robertson, “We want to provide assistance to as many Vermonters as we can who can barely stay warm through these cold months, and we also want to have it be fun and accessible for people of all ages and abilities to take part—folks appreciate the opportunity to make a difference for others in their communities.”
Now with its own nonprofit designation from the IRS, Ski for Heat is partnering with all five of Vermont’s Community Action Agencies (CAAs) to raise money to help those in our communities who are struggling to stay warm this winter. VSECU is the presenting sponsor of the winter-long awareness and fundraising program.
"We're a member cooperative that believes in leveraging our resources to help improve the lives of Vermonters," said VSECU CEO Rob Miller. "Being a part of this groundbreaking initiative aligns perfectly with our belief in helping sustain the basic needs of Vermonters, such as keeping warm."
Steve Geller, Executive Director of Southeastern Vermont Community Action and President of the Vermont Community Action Partnership, had great praise for Ski for Heat. “The VT CAAs are where Vermonters who can’t afford to heat their homes turn to when they’ve run out of heating fuel and will freeze without some quick help,” he said. “And every winter we struggle to find enough money to provide that help. Dedicated community volunteers like Martha and the many other folks who support Ski for Heat enable us to keep many more families from being left out in the cold.”
There are a variety of ways for people to participate in and contribute to Ski for Heat at a level that is comfortable for them. Information and details can be found on Ski for Heat’s website, www.skiforheat.org.
Community volunteers and corporate sponsors are the backbone of Ski for Heat. In addition to VSECU, sponsors include Clark’s Quality Foods in Londonderry, The Vermont Country Store, Ski Vermont, Great Big Graphics and The Point FM. Many local businesses, listed on the Ski for Heat’s website, are also contributing to this endeavor.