Students Ski Free Thanks to New Partnership
Castleton University students will ski free all winter at Pico Mountain and have the opportunity to purchase a discounted season pass to Killington Resort thanks to a recent partnership agreement between the two organizations.
“This is all about providing our students with access to what makes our region special,” said Castleton President Dave Wolk. “Rutland County, the Killington Valley, and Castleton University are great places to live, learn, work, and play. By eliminating barriers of entry like cost and transportation, we hope to introduce more students to lifelong sports such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and biking – while at the same time provide them with opportunities for employment that develops meaningful career skills. We’ve always had a wonderful relationship with Killington. This agreement is the next step in our efforts to better connect our students with the region.”
In addition to free skiing and riding the Castleton Beast Pass, which received funding and support from the Castleton Student Government Association, provides each student with a free lesson including equipment rental, discounted future equipment rentals, and other non-skier perks such as a gondola ride to the top of Killington, and a mountain bike trail ticket and lesson .
“The Student Government Association is proud to support this effort as a way to help connect students with Killington and the opportunities it represents,” said Student Government Association President Isabel Gogarty. “The student body entrusts us to provide meaningful activities, opportunities for deeper engagement with the community, and to be good stewards of their activity fund. We feel that this partnership achieves all of those goals and more.”
Killington/Pico has also agreed to guarantee job placement for Castleton students based on demand in several key areas of resort operations, while Castleton has agreed to provide transportation to and from the mountain for both recreation and employment opportunities.
“We view this as an incredible win for all parties involved,” said Killington CEO Mike Solimano. “We are excited to be able to introduce more young people to our unique brand of recreation while providing meaningful opportunities to more deeply engage students in the region.”
The Castleton Beast Pass is available to all full-time undergraduate students and will officially kick-off in the 1787 Room of the Castleton University Campus Center October 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Students are encouraged to claim their pass now to receive it at the event. For more information and to claim your pass please visit castleton.edu/beast.