It’s been a life-altering few weeks, as we all adjust to the Covid-19 pandemic. While it saddened us to have to close down the mountain early, and then uphill travel a couple weeks after that, we believe it was the right thing to do in an effort to encourage everyone to remain isolated. This is having a profound impact on the industry and each resort’s neighboring towns, including right here in the Mad River Valley. But there’s a lot we all can do to lend a hand. Learn how we’re helping at Sugarbush and in the surrounding community.
We’d encourage you, if you’re interested, whether you live here year-round, part-time, or just choose to vacation with us, to support some of the local businesses trying to stay open for all of us. The Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce put together a handy list of businesses that are still open and how you can support them ranging from Canteen Cremee and Pizza Soul to The Pitcher Inn and Inn at the Round Barn. You can help out by purchasing gift cards, ordering takeout, or doing curbside pickup. If that’s not your thing, that’s OK too, as you can donate to organizations like the Vermont Foodbank or Mad River Valley Community Fund. I felt particularly Vermonty yesterday when Von Trapp Farmstead had a special cheese deal that you could purchase online and pickup curbside. Curbside artisan cheese pickup? Sign me up. There was a line of cars all getting in on the action, while the farm staff all wore proper gloves and masks during delivery.
Every little bit counts with these businesses and organizations, and we’ve been trying to find ways to help them and others around the country who have been affected by this pandemic. Last week we participated in the Goggles For Docs program, where we donated 40 pairs of ski goggles to doctors in need of eye protection. As I noted a few weeks ago, we gave all of our perishable food away to employees who needed it and this weekend we’ll be giving all of our Easter candy that we had planned for our on-mountain Easter celebrations to employee families as well.
The best way to get through this is by supporting one another. If you have other suggestions on ways to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Stay safe!