Copper Mountain Resort Matching Challenge, raised $258,019 to Secure a Strong, Sustainable Future for Lake County Residents
Leadville, Colorado, March 24, 2025 —The Lake County Community Fund (LCCF) announced today that for the sixth year, it has exceeded the goal to raise and match dollar- for-dollar the $50,000 Copper Mountain Resort challenge grant. The fundraising effort is part of a larger eight-year grant and endowment campaign for Lake County, with a goal to raise $1.5 million to secure a strong, sustainable future for the residents of the greater Lake County communities.
“We are proud to continue our financial commitment to the Lake County Community Fund” said Dustin Lyman, president and general manager of Copper Mountain Resort. “With more than 200 of our employees calling Lake County home, we recognize the importance of
supporting its long-term success. The LCCF’s dedication to outdoor accessibility and education aligns with Copper Mountain’s core values, and we’re honored to contribute to their lasting impact.”
With the Copper Mountain grant, LCCF will award $25,000 in 2025 to Lake County nonprofits engaged in outdoor adventure education, development of lifetime sports skills, and environmental causes. Copper Mountain’s gift is part of the resort’s Play Forever corporate responsibility commitment to protect the environment and support the community.
Through Play Forever, Copper Mountain supports local initiatives that enable a stronger community and create welcoming places for all to live the adventure lifestyle.
In the six years of the Copper Mountain Resort challenge grant, 765 matching contributions plus the Copper Mountain contribution have raised $1,293,793. “I want to express our appreciation to the 103 individual, corporate, and foundation donors who helped us to exceed the $50,000 goal in 2024,” said LCCF Executive Director John McMurtry. Copper’s commitment to supporting and promoting its community is a wonderful example of corporate philanthropy. This commitment during another very challenging year is inspiring others to support the Lake County community. Through Copper Mountain’s “Play Forever” focus on supporting grants that will develop a love of outdoor adventure and protect our natural environment, we are very grateful they are raising the bar for what it means to support the communities where their employees live.”
In 2024, the fifth year of the program, seven Lake County nonprofit organizations were recipients of the Copper Mountain grant:
Copper Mountain Resort 2024 Awards
Blue Elements: Awarded $4,000 to fund one AmeriCorps member devoted to water education, stewardship, and water quality initiatives in Lake County.
Cloud City Wheelers: Awarded $500 to fund operational expenses to support year-round efforts to increase organizational capacity. The Cloud City Wheelers exists to create, enhance, and promote trail opportunities in Leadville and Lake County and work year-round to build,
maintain and steward trails and encourage people of all ages and abilities to get outside, enjoy and use the trails while learning to be responsible users.
Cloud City Conservation Center: Awarded $5,000 to support Nature-Based Learning programming with Lake County School District and to engage all Lake County students in transformative outdoor learning experiences that support their academic success and overall well-being.
Cloud City Mountain Sports: Awarded $3,500 to fund scholarships that provide access to outdoor recreation programs including mountain biking, nordic skiing, snowboarding, and alpine skiing.
Colorado Outward Bound School: Awarded $2,000 to fund outdoor education programming with the Lake County School District and Get Outside Leadville! Through this partnership Lake County youth (6th graders) will experience life-changing Outward-Bound adventures through
a two-day overnight group program at Colorado Outward Bound School’s Leadville basecamp.
Desert Mountain Medicine: Awarded $3,000 to fund the translation of materials for the Wilderness Medicine Education Initiative. Desert Mountain Medicine will offer Spanish language courses to the Lake County community to learn basic first aid, CPR, and wilderness preparedness.
Project Dream: Awarded $7,500 to fund after school outdoor clubs on Fridays in Spring and Fall of 2024. Project Dream provides free after school and Friday programs which serve students K-12.
Lake County is an integral part of the regional Colorado community. More than 70 percent of the Lake County workforce is employed in Summit and Eagle Counties. Copper Mountain, a POWDR resort located in Summit County, employs more than 400 residents of Lake County.
Through the gift from Copper Mountain, supporters are giving back to Leadville and Lake County in immeasurable ways. The Lake County Community Fund serves 7,778 community members in Lake County by providing a source of nonprofit funds to support local programs, projects and assets.
Individuals who wish to give to a charity that supports the Lake County community can contribute to the fund and know their donation is going to a trusted source. Leadville and Twin Lakes nonprofits can apply for grants through the Fund to further their missions which include the arts, environment, education, youth, health, community development, and more.
The Copper Mountain challenge gift includes $50,000 in annual, one-for-one matching contributions to the Lake County Community Fund over an eight-year period beginning in 2019. A portion of the gift will support the Lake County Community Fund endowment, a permanent fund to support sustainability for the Lake County community. Another portion will be dedicated to supporting Lake County nonprofit organizations focused on outdoor adventure education and the development of lifetime sports skills, in addition to environmental initiatives.
Criteria for these grants have been announced, and Leadville and Twin Lakes nonprofits may apply for grants to further their important missions.
