Sugarbush Resort raised a combined $44,617 for eight nonprofit organizations through its Be Better Here Fund from the sale of the Heaven’s Gate Triple and Village Double chairs.
Chairs were sold in two parts, first in an auction-style event at the inaugural Memorial Day Pig Jig in late May. The resort auctioned off six Heaven’s Gate Triple chairs benefitting Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, Hannah’s House, Three Peaks Medical Clinic, High Fives Foundation, Mad River Valley Community Pantry, and Kelly Brush Foundation. A bidder also volunteered to donate to Mad River Seniors. Each organization received at least $1,000 from its respective chair auction.
The rest of the Heaven’s Gate Triple chairs, alongside a number of Village Double chairs leftover from that lift replacement a few years ago, were then sold online. All proceeds from those sales benefitted the Mad River Valley Community Fund, with final fundraising numbers totaling over $33,000 for the organization.
“We’re thrilled to have been able to raise so much money for these great organizations, while also providing guests with an opportunity to take home a piece of history,” said John Bleh, Sugarbush’s public relations and communications manager. “Thank you to everyone who came out and participated in our event and online sale.”
Sugarbush is currently replacing the old Heaven’s Gate Triple with a new Heaven’s Gate Quad, set to open for the 2024/25 winter season. The Village Double was replaced by the Village Quad several years ago.
