Jans has been a part of Park City for over 30 years, and some of us have lived here even longer– since the 70’s, when this historic town was actually listed by a publication as one of the “Ghost Towns of the West.” In those days, the locals who saw what this place had to offer banded together to turn a mining town into a ski town.
Jans has never forgotten that Park City is more than just a few spectacular mountains. It’s a real year ‘round community… One we’re rather fond of.
Jans gives back to this community that we call home because we love these mountains, and we want to protect them for future generations; and because we love outdoor recreation, and we want to make it accessible for everyone to enjoy.
If you would like us to support your charity organization, please contact cs@jans.com
Our visionary founder, Jan Peterson, started the Jans Winter Welcome in 1980, making it one of the longest-running annual fundraisers in Park City. This event brings the community and the snow sports industries together for an evening of champagne toasts, mingling with Olympic medalists, and a rousing live auction. The Jans Winter Welcome raises over $400,000 each year to support the Youth Sports Alliance (YSA), a local non-profit created by Russ Coburn, Jans President and CEO, to help Park City kids participate in sports programs.
Park City has its share of red carpet events like those during The Sundance Film Festival; but ours is a little different. Since the kids are what it’s really all about, every year we ask the junior athletes to get involved in the Jans Winter Welcome by escorting guests down the red carpet. It’s hard to tell who is more jazzed by the idea – the guests or the athletes themselves. “Seeing the next generation of athletes with the same passion and excitement for the sport that we have as they walk in is awesome,” says Coburn. This tradition also lets kids meet the sports heroes that inspire them. Previous years’ sports celebrities include Billy Demong, Ted Ligety, Brett Camerota, Alex Schlopy, Derek Parra, and five-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Eric Heiden.
With over 250 contributing local businesses as well as the generosity of Jans vendors, our silent and live auction items are not to be missed. Those who can’t attend the event can still contribute to this worthy cause by participating in an opportunity drawing online.
If you’d like to be involved in the Jans Winter Welcome please contact:
Caron Keim
CFO, Jans Ltd.
caron@jans.com
The YSA (www.ysaparkcity.org) was formed in 2002, inspired by the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. The construction of numerous Olympic venues in Park City, including the Utah Olympic Park, gave local kids a chance to try alpine skiing, as well as many other less mainstream winter sports. Jans CEO, Russ Coburn, says, “Programs blossomed at each venue… the community really embraced it.” Coburn and several other visionaries founded the Youth Winter Sports Alliance (now the Youth Sports Alliance, aka YSA) with the intention of providing each child in this community the opportunity to experience the winter sport of their dreams.
By supporting sports programs for youth, the YSA not only develops junior athletes in the Park City area, but also encourages good sportsmanship and healthy lifestyles. The YSA funds clubs for alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, freestyle and freeride events, ski jumping, luge, skeleton and bobsled, figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey.
The YSA boasts a number of local Olympians who have “grown up” in this organization and directly benefited from the Jans Winter Welcome. Examples include Ted Ligety, the youngest male skier to win an Olympic gold medal; Brett Camerota, 2-time Olympian in Nordic Combined; and Bryon Wilson, Bronze Medalist in moguls in Vancouver. The Winter Welcome also supports the next generation of athletes, like 2011 Winter X Games gold medalist and first-ever slopestyle World Champion, Alex Schlopy; and Sarah Hendrikson, one of the first women's World Cup ski jump champions.
We want everyone to enjoy the thrill of outdoor recreation. However, not all of the programs offered by the YSA are accessible for everyone. For fully accessible recreation opportunities, we encourage you to consider participating in the excellent adaptive recreation programs offered at the National Ability Center.