I’m Ethan Peart, and I'm joined by my colleagues, Ian Hunn, Drew Rodriguez, and Jaden Herrera. We are trying to raise $500 over four weeks directly for Food Bank of the Rockies, an organization that serves 13 Western Slope counties without eligibility tests, paperwork, or barriers. Every dollar goes directly toward bringing reliable, dignified food assistance to the workforce keeping our ski towns running.

Why Food Bank of the Rockies?

As the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region, Food Bank of the Rockies has been working since 1978 to nourish individuals and families facing food insecurity. Distributing enough food for more than 185,000 meals every day through a network of more than 800 Hunger Relief Partners across Colorado and Wyoming, the organization believes help should be accessible to anyone in need.

Who we are helping:

Resort workers. Colorado ski resorts thrive on a luxury economy where a single-day lift ticket costs $225, while resort workers in Pitkin County face meal costs averaging $4.70, the highest in the state. This severe cost-of-living gap leaves essential employees struggling to afford food. Traditional safety nets offer no relief: rigid federal SNAP rules leave 51% of food-insecure Coloradans and 60% in Pitkin County categorically ineligible for assistance. Compounding the crisis, soaring housing costs force workers to commute up to 40 miles from down-valley towns, making their daily struggle with hunger entirely invisible on the mountain.