GIVING BACK
paying homage to him , and making sure that with each cross of the finish line , the community will remember a much-loved young man .
It ’ s no surprise that another major , annual fundraising event for SCF — 24 Hours of Stratton — uses the valuable resource of Stratton Mountain ’ s snow-covered slopes . The connection between Vermont and winter sports is undeniable , and Stratton Mountain Resort is well-situated to be the Foundation ’ s stalwart community partner for winter fundraising events . In fact , the pioneer of 24 Hours of Stratton was one of SCF ’ s original founders and a former vice president of sales and marketing for the Resort , Michael Cobb . Cobb wanted to produce something at Stratton Mountain that was inspired by an event at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec , Canada . Both Mont-Tremblant ’ s and Stratton ’ s 24 Hours now involve raising a minimum dollar amount to ski day and night , with the addition of snowboarding and other on and off-slope activities to earn team or individual points — all with the purpose of fundraising for a children ’ s charity . Leading up to the debut at Stratton , Mosher recalls hearing from the Resort that SCF would be the beneficiary of the funds raised , and afterward , they were handed a check for over $ 300K . “ This was a game-changer ,” Mosher affirms . “ It was one of those amazing opportunities that completely changed the growth and impact that we had — and would have — in the community .” After that first year in 2012 , SCF partnered with Stratton Resort and created an opportunity to support local youth with an annual , signature event . Since then , they ’ ve been extremely active in the organizing . “ The Foundation plans it , gets the sponsorships , pays all the bills ,” explains Mosher , “ and because it ’ s a ski event , obviously we could not do it without the partnership and incredible resources gifted by Stratton . Overall , the Resort annually offers over $ 100K of in-kind support .” 24 Hours of Stratton is SCF ’ s largest fundraiser of the year , with proceeds going to support their entire mission . Starting off as a more competitive Team Relay Race , it ultimately turned into a fun , family-oriented event . There are still races for those who prefer competition , but in the past nine years , much has been added to increase the joy and engagement for participants of all ages and abilities . Additional events include nighttime trivia , snow boot races , tubing at Coca-Cola Park , a scavenger hunt , and more , with a DJ spinning tunes all day and night . New features this year boast an outdoor team dance-off , a badgeearning system , and the development of a mobile app to make everything easier for participants : check point status , looking at a Resort map , and communicating with others , to name a few . There ’ s swag and giveaways , as well as awards for earning the most points for each activity . In honor of Cobb , who passed away in 2014 , the top fundraising team is awarded the Michael Cobb Trophy .
Diehard fans return to the Mountain each year like clockwork to relive the experience , and new visitors continue to come from far and wide as peer-to-peer fundraising has given the event a global reach . Last year , many people revealed that they couldn ’ t wait to start fundraising for this year after seeing a video highlighting the Foundation ’ s impact . The minimum fundraising amount is $ 300 , and kids 11 and under can join for free , though Mosher says the majority opt to fundraise anyway , understanding the true purpose of the weekend . “ That ’ s what we want ,” she says , “ to cultivate that culture of philanthropy .” Older students from local schools like Burr and Burton Academy , the Long Trail School , and the Stratton Mountain School also have teams register each year , adding to the overall community feel .
Last year , the event had nearly 400 people skiing on Stratton ’ s slopes . “ We would love to see 500 people on the mountain ,” shares Mosher , who has been with SCF for 12 years , serving in her current position for 11 of those — the same amount of time that 24 Hours has existed . “ I ’ ve lived it ,” she grins . “ I ’ m excited to see everybody .” It ’ s clear that Mosher and the SCF team are closely connected to the community and work tirelessly toward its betterment . With a vision “ to end the cycle of generational poverty by helping at-risk children become successful adults ,” SCF succeeds in this effort by effectively using local resources like the Resort and immediately responding to the needs of its community , just as they did with # Shred4Nate . The Stratton Community Foundation is up to the honorable task of becoming the unofficial caretakers of Southern Vermont ’ s children , or as many have said , its “ silent angels .”
strattonfoundation . org
48 VERMONT MAGAZINE