Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, honored for impact on youth sports

The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation was honored Tuesday, Oct. 29, with the Visit Salt Lake Community Impact Award. Photo: ULOF

PARK CITY, Utah – The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation was honored Tuesday with the Visit Salt Lake Community Impact Award in recognition of its dedication to 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 Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center – provides youth winter sports programs in skating, skiing, sliding sports and more in Utah. These programs are offered to all ages and skill levels with multiple scholarship options to reduce barriers to participation in sports.

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“It is an honor to receive the Visit Salt Lake Community Impact Award,” said Colin Hilton, CEO of the Utah Olympic Foundation. “This recognition further validates our daily mission to cultivate champions in sports and in life, regardless of challenge or circumstance.”

A key driver of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s impact is the Healthy Communities Initiative. Launched in 2018, Healthy Communities celebrates racial, ethnic, gender and economic diversity by providing financial opportunities for children to develop physically, mentally and socially through access to sports participation.

The program provides a free five-week learn-to-skate program to more than 750 Kearns fourth- and fifth-graders and includes transportation, instruction and equipment. Since then, the initiative has expanded to provide free lessons, summer camp scholarship opportunities and other ways for low-income, special needs and youth from diverse communities to participate in sports.

“Through their 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 Kaitlin Eskelson, President and CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “By removing barriers to participation, they are empowering Utah’s youth to access opportunities for growth, health and achievement. We are proud to honor their impact, which aligns so closely with our mission to support a vibrant and inclusive visitor economy.”

UOLF has funded more than $276,000 in subsidized sports opportunities through the Healthy Communities program and provided an additional $177,000 in scholarships between 2018 and 2022. UOLF’s Healthy Communities and Scholarships have benefited more than 3,200 children.