Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation Receives Community Impact Award for Youth Sports

On Tuesday, Visit Salt Lake honored the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation with its Community Impact Award in recognition of the foundation’s dedication and impact on youth sports in Utah.

The award was presented during Visit Salt Lake’s third annual Sports Tourism Summit.

The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, which includes the Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval and Soldier Hollow North Center, offers youth winter sports programs in skating, skiing, sliding and more throughout Utah. The foundation offers these programs for all ages and ability levels, as well as several scholarship options to reduce barriers to participation in sports, according to the foundation.

“I am honored to receive the Visit Salt Lake Community Impact Award,” said Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation CEO Colin Hilton. “This recognition further validates our daily mission to develop champions in sports and in life, no matter the challenges or circumstances.”

The foundation cites its Healthy Communities initiative as a key driver of its impact. Created in 2018, the Healthy Communities program aims to celebrate racial, ethnic, gender and economic diversity by providing children with financial opportunities for physical, mental and social development through access to sports, according to the foundation.

The program provides a free, five-week Learn to Skate program to more than 750 fourth and fifth grade students in Cairns and includes transportation, instruction and equipment. The initiative has since expanded to provide free lessons, summer camp scholarship opportunities and other opportunities for low-income, special needs and youth from diverse communities to participate in sports.

“Through its commitment to youth development and celebrating the spirit of the Olympic Games, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation has a profound impact on our community,” said Caitlin Eskelson, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “By breaking down barriers to participation, they give young people across Utah access to opportunities for growth, health and achievement. We are proud to celebrate their impact, which aligns so closely with our mission to support a vibrant and inclusive visitor economy.”

The foundation said it funded more than $276,000 in subsidized athletic opportunities through the Healthy Communities program between 2018 and 2022 and provided another $177,000 in scholarships. They say Healthy Communities and the foundation’s scholarships have helped more than 3,200 children.