Leveling the Slopes: What the Program Offers

The Rota-Rippers & Rota-Ravens program is designed to eliminate barriers and open up Sun Valley’s world-class outdoor experience to elementary and middle school students across the region. WRWF’s grant helps provide:

• Lease packages of skis, boots, and poles or snowboards and boots
  
  
• Proper sizing and fitting to ensure safety and comfort
  
  
• Access to winter sports for children who otherwise couldn’t participate
  
  
• Support for families managing multiple children or economic challenges
  
  

In partnership with Sun Valley Company and local schools, Kids Mountain Fund identifies students who need support and ensures they have everything necessary to show up, suit up, and glide with pride.

More Than a Sport: Building Confidence and Community

For kids, snow sports are more than recreation—they’re a gateway to self-esteem, resilience, and inclusion. These programs allow young people to:

• Develop lifelong skills in a healthy, outdoor environment
  
  
• Learn responsibility and perseverance through training and teamwork
  
  
• Form meaningful friendships on the mountain
  
  
• Feel a sense of belonging in a sport often reserved for the privileged
  
  

WRWF’s funding allows the Kids Mountain Fund to equip more than 100 children each season, ensuring that no child feels left out when winter arrives.

Creating Equitable Outdoor Access

In a community centered around mountain culture, it’s easy to forget how many families struggle to afford access. By making sure winter recreation is available to all, WRWF and the Kids Mountain Fund are removing economic barriers and promoting equity in a way that’s both joyful and impactful.

This grant reflects WRWF’s mission to invest in youth opportunity, community engagement, and active living—and it proves that sometimes, empowering the next generation starts with a pair of boots and a lift ticket.