BOEC Unveils Newest Edition of the Iconic Green Jacket

If someone tells you to close your eyes and think of BOEC in the winter, what visualization comes to mind? It is likely an image of a smiling participant with our Adaptive Ski and Snowboard staff and volunteers sporting our iconic green jackets.

You cannot ski Peak 9 in Breckenridge or near the Mountain House base area in Keystone without spotting BOEC’s instructors and interns in their green uniform jackets, conducting lessons and enjoying time on the slopes together. There is no question that BOEC’s bright green uniform jackets are both recognizable and leave an impression. It is even common for new donors to share testimony like this:

“I’ve been skiing in Breck for years and always saw the green jackets out on the hill. In learning about BOEC’s mission, I felt compelled to donate. It is clear to me what an impact you make on everyone to feel welcome on the hill.”

For the past two years, the BOEC team and jacket provider Helly Hansen, have worked together to design and place an order for 200 BOEC Ski and Snowboard uniforms to have them ready for this year’s ski season. And this effort would not have been possible without our very generous sponsors who stepped up to underwrite this very important element of the BOEC Adaptive Ski and Snowboard program. The BOEC ski program uniform jacket sponsors include FirstBank, Centura Health, Rockridge Building & Construction, and Blue River Sports / Mountain Wave.

FirstBank was the first to commit and secured the spot of the Back Tail Sponsor. Having FirstBank commit to this sponsorship is significant because they were the original sponsors of the BOEC jackets in the early 2000s when the jackets were black and blue and red.

BOEC’s Development Director, Hallie Jaeger, exclaims, “The amount of support FirstBank has shared with us over the years continues to make a profoundly positive impact on our programming. Supporting the BOEC showcases that FirstBank truly is “BANKING FOR GOOD” and helping people of all abilities get outside!”

“As an organization that believes greatly in creating an inclusive world for all individuals, we’re thrilled to be longtime partners of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center,” said Brady McMillan, Executive Vice President of FirstBank’s Mountains Market. “For nearly two decades, FirstBank has been focused on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion within and outside of our walls. Supporting nonprofits like the BOEC — who’ve proven physical and intellectual disabilities hold no barriers — is one of the many ways we’re continuing to build on that. It’s an honor to have our logo displayed on BOEC’s jackets, and it’s a symbol of what ‘banking for good’ represents.” – Brady McMillan

BOEC was also excited to create space on the jackets to welcome new partners including Centura Health and Rockridge Building & Construction whose generous sponsorship placed their names and logos on the right sleeve.

And as if they do not already do enough, Blue River Sports and Mountain Wave, one of our key partners who donate rental gear for all lessons in Breckenridge throughout the year, has landed on the left sleeve.

Outfitting the BOEC Adaptive Ski Program is no small task. Thanks to full sponsorship coverage for the jackets, and the investment FirstBank, Centura Health, Rockridge Construction, and Blue River Sports / Mountain Wave made in BOEC, we were able to order ski pants and jacket shells for the first time ever as well.

Jeff Inouye, BOEC Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Director, worked closely with Helly Hensen on the ordering and design of all the new gear. We planned strategically to have a similar Helly Hensen uniform as the employees of Breckenridge and Keystone ski resorts to showcase the oneness across our organizations.

Green Jackets on the Mountain

BOEC is one of the longest-running and pre-eminent adaptive ski programs in the Country conducting approximately 3,500 ski lessons a year across Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain Ski Areas. We strive to have a 2:1 instructor: participant ratio on each lesson – meaning two green coats are out on each lesson. On any given day across Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper mountains, we are delivering 15-40 lessons. The BOEC adaptive ski season runs from approximately mid-November to mid-April depending on snow conditions. This means 7,000 BOEC coat impressions a year for the million-plus visitors to North America’s most popular ski destinations.

As the host chapter of Move United’s Hartford Ski Spectacular, the largest adaptive ski and snowboard event in the world, BOEC was able to distribute the new jackets just in time for the event which ran the first week of December. Although BOEC has been participating in this event for 30 years and organizes the adaptive ski instruction and volunteers, this was the first year that every volunteer and staff member was able to wear their BOEC uniform – the impressionable green jackets. Seeing 200 coats on the hill every day, made a tremendous impact. Inouye even shared:

“We’ve been out there for 30 years with nearly 200 instructors and volunteers every year, but this year, thanks to our sponsors and being able to outfit our entire staff and volunteers, we were extremely noticeable in a very good way!” – Jeff Inouye

In true BOEC fashion, we celebrated the unveiling of our new uniform with a toast to our sponsors for their contribution to this extraordinary effort. Executives from all of our sponsors including First Bank’s, Executive Vice President, Breckenridge, Brady McMillan, and Vice President, Breckenridge, Hanna Thomas, Rockridge Construction owners, DJ and Jen Schappert, Scott Sodergren and John George owners of of Blue River Sports / Mountain Wave and from Centura Health, President and CEO of St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, Lee Boyles, and Candy Elkind, Director of St. Anthony Summit Hospital Foundation, all bundled up to show their support and receive their own BOEC Green Jacket.

Pictured upper row left to right :
– Jeff Inouye, BOEC Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program Director,
– DJ Shappert – Owner of Rockridge Building & Construction (Right sleeve Sponsor)
– Brady McMillan – Executive Vice President FirstBank Breckenridge (Premiere Tail Sponsor)
– Lee Boyles – President and CEO St. Anthony Summit Medical Center (Right sleeve Sponsor)
– Scott Sodergren Owner Blue River Sports (Left sleeve Sponsor)
– John George Owner Mountain Wave (Left sleeve Sponsor)

Pictured lower row left to right:
– Sonya Norris – BOEC Executive Director
– Hanna Thomas –  Vice President at FirstBank Breckenridge  (Premiere Tail Sponsor)
– Jen Schappert – Owner Rockridge Building & Construction (Right sleeve Sponsor)
– Hallie Jaeger – BOEC Development Director
– Candy Elkind – Director of St. Anthony Summit Hospital Foundation (Right sleeve Sponsor)

BOEC Development Director, Hallie Jaeger says “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with all our sponsors over the past two years in developing proposals and seeing this all come to fruition. Every one of these companies just want to help make an impact on our participants at the end of the day. Through their investment in BOEC in helping to cover the costs of the jackets, we are able to invest in the highest quality adaptive programming so that any participant, no matter the physical or intellectual ability level, can get out on the slopes and enjoy themselves.”

It is a sound business decision to align their brands with BOEC because we are shaping a world where we adapt to the individual so that anyone can have access to outdoor recreation. Supporting BOEC helps organizations meet their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

We are very grateful that we can outfit our hardworking instructors and dedicated volunteers, ensuring they stay warm and shine green across Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain resorts and hope everyone will join us in thanking our sponsors and the commitment they have made to outfitting our staff and volunteers. Thank you again FirstBank, Centura Health, Rockridge Building & Construction, and Blue River Sports & Mountain Wave!