Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam have made significant contributions totaling more than $2 million to support emotional wellness programs in nearly every mountain resort community in which Vail Resorts operates.<\/p>\n
The 30 grants were issued by the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust and will impact thousands of people seeking mental and behavioral health support across North America.<\/p>\n
“It is our hope that these grants will help improve access to much-needed services around mental health and substance abuse and reduce the stigma and misunderstanding around these issues to encourage more people to get the help they need,” Katz said. “It is our privilege to be able to support so many outstanding organizations and meaningful programs already in place across our local communities in Colorado, Utah, Tahoe, British Columbia, Vermont and New Hampshire.”<\/p>\n
Katz and Amsterdam have donated nearly $100 million dollars in recent years to the family’s charitable trust and foundation and named Beth Ganz executive director of the foundation in October to facilitate community engagement, sponsor research and collaboration and to work with non-profit partners to drive toward improved mental health outcomes in mountain resort communities. Ganz joined the Katz Amsterdam Foundation after 11 years as vice president of public affairs and sustainability for Vail Resorts.<\/p>\n
These grants are in addition to the $12.9 million of contributions made by Vail Resorts in 2018 to more than 250 community organizations as a part of the Company’s EpicPromise program.<\/p>\n
Grants in Eagle County include<\/p>\n
$240,000 to Eagle County Department of Public Health \u2013 network collaboration staff; expand mobile access program; telepsychiatry contract<\/p>\n
$100,000 to Mountain Family Health \u2013 hire additional behavioral health provider<\/p>\n
$89,000 to Hope Center Eagle River Valley \u2013 expand crisis services and stigma reduction program<\/p>\n