Vail Resorts Inc. is ending its relationship with Alpino, the Denver organization that introduces urban minority children to Colorado’s ski areas.
Instead, Vail Resorts announced Thursday it is creating an in-house program to focus on increasing diversity on its slopes.
“Any time you put anything internal in an organization, it has a higher level of importance,” said Bill Jensen, co-president of the Vail Resorts mountain division. “There is no reason why we can’t do this better ourselves.”
Vail Resorts was Alpino’s largest financial partner, with a two-year, $600,000 deal that allowed Alpino to each year bring roughly 2,500 metro Denver youths to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone resorts.
The partnership expired after last winter. Roberto Moreno, founder of the group, called Vail Resorts’ decision not to renew it a huge blow.
“It’s tragic,” he said. “The net loser in this is Denver kids.”
Moreno said 3,200 local youths have expressed interest in participating this winter. Last season, the Alpino program took more than 4,100 kids to the mountains.
Broomfield-based Vail Resorts said it will increase the number of “scholarships” it offers to 3,000 this winter. They will include a free lift ticket, instruction, equipment rental and lunch.
In Summit and Eagle counties, Vail Resorts plans to partner with local nonprofit groups to host 25 kids for 15 days at each of its four Colorado resorts. Along the Front Range, it will provide 1,500 one-day scholarships through school and church groups.
The program will cost Vail about $300,000 to implement this year, said Jensen.
Last winter, 86 percent of the 58.8 million people who visited U.S. ski resorts were white, according to the Lakewood-based National Ski Areas Association. Asians made up the largest minority group at 4.8 percent, followed by Hispanics at 3.2 percent and African-Americans at 1.6 percent.
Moreno said he is working with Loveland Ski Area, Eldora Mountain Resort and Echo Mountain Park to secure deeply discounted lift tickets for Alpino participants.
“We support this program, and we want Roberto’s kids up here,” said Eldora director of marketing Rob Linde.
On Monday, the Denver City Council will present Moreno with a proclamation recognizing Alpino’s achievements.
“I wanted to acknowledge the work that Alpino has done in exposing our disadvantaged youth to the mountains and outdoor recreation,” said Councilman Rick Garcia.
Moreno is organizing an Oct. 6 march from RTD’s Market Street Station to the REI flagship store to raise local awareness of minorities and mountain recreation.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-954-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
