In 1996, a small group of community-minded individuals joined together to find a way to support the Stratton Mountain community and help the children and families in need within that community. The result was The Stratton Foundation. Now in its 20th year, The Stratton Foundation has grown from a small group of concerned citizens to a successful foundation which has distributed nearly $1.5M into local Vermont communities. Success depends heavily on the generosity of the foundation’s partners which include the Stratton Mountain Resort.
During this 20th year, The Stratton Foundation has hosted some significant fund-raising events. During the 4th Annual 24 Hours of Stratton, in partnership with Stratton Mountain Resort, 195 athletes, skiing round the clock, helped to raise $119,000 slated to help southern Vermont children and families living in poverty. (The next “24 Hours of Stratton” is already scheduled for January 7-8, 2017.)
Another $18,000 was raised during the 5th Annual Taste of Vermont. During this event local restaurants and chefs offered tastings of favorite recipes to 400 paying guests.
“Snowlight in Vermont” is an ongoing fundraiser. For a donation of $500, a holiday tree will be lit in the Stratton Resort Village from November 2016 through February 2017 in your honor or in memory of someone special. A private donor cocktail reception will be held before the lighting ceremony.
Additional initiatives include the “Pass It On Clothing Drive,” the collection and distribution of lightly worn winter clothing for adults and children in need. The “Boots 4 Vermont Kids” program supplies winter boots, warm socks, and a small gift to a Vermont child who otherwise would not have them. All it takes is a $75 donation. Socks are given generously by Smartwool. Add another $25 to sponsor a holiday meal for a needy family.
The Stratton Foundation website expresses their commitment best, “We share in the mission to make a difference. It is a love of community and a passion to make things better. It embraces the now; it gives hope, and provides momentum to secure the future. Meeting the basic human needs of hunger, warmth, and well-being provides an opportunity for children to grow up healthy, focus on their education, and set on a path to success and economic independence.”
