Women’s History Month: Beano Solomon

(L to R) Beano Solomon, Beano and Bill's child Dr. Virginia Solomon (they/them,) an art history professor and program director at the University of Utah, and Beano's husband Bill Solomon. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Elizabeth “Beano” Solomon was a simple choice to be highlighted for Women’s History Month. This Parkite is involved with many non-profits, and giving back is second nature. Her time in Park City parallels the history of some of Park City’s most meaningful milestones. 

She’s continually creating connections through the Solomon Fund, which punctuates and personifies her Park City presence. The non-profit’s mission ensures, in her words, “The inclusion of LatinX youth into the fabric of the mountain town’s activities and opportunities.” SOS Outreach is another organization she is involved in that supports youth through programming and mountain adventures. Not only does she speak Spanish, but it’s one of six languages she can speak, including Latin.

Her garage is filled with children’s bikes donated to locals who may not have the means to purchase their own. She feels biking is a way to have fun and create community connections.

The bikes are next to her car, the license plate for which reads “GAYSROK.” She famously had to sue the State of Utah to be able to print the word “gay” on her license plate, advocating for another group of marginalized people.

Aside from championing human rights and underserved communities, she has many interests and hobbies, as most Parkites do. Her first-place finish in Ballet West’s fundraising version of Dancing With The Stars resulted from consistent practice. Solomon balances her time enjoying the endeavors of Ballet West, Boston Red Sox Baseball, the Utah Symphony, the Las Vegas Golden Knights Hockey, and the Utah Opera. She’s constantly bringing families along who may not be able to go otherwise. 

After her second battle with cancer decades ago, she joined a committee conducting a feasibility study measuring interest in creating a Park City Hospital, and the rest is history.  

Around the same time, she was on the Board of Temple Har Shalom, having married into Judaism. Solomon back on the board (after a short stint away), she also strongly advocated for establishing the now thriving entity, the Women of Har Shalom.

Solomon spends as much time as possible with, as she puts it, her “favorite grandchild,” her only grandchild, Jonah, and her “favorite daughter-in-law,” her only daughter-in-law, Jenn, the owner of the PC Yoga Collective.

Those may be her only official relatives around, but that doesn’t stop Solomon from treating countless other Park City residents like family, always welcoming friends, old and new, into her home and her heart. She’s continually creating connections despite the fact that she’s lived in town for 25 years and is still active in the Park City Newcomers Club.

Passionate about non-profits, Solomon literally Lives PC and Gives PC not just one day but every day in some small way. She even has a friend in another state purchase a lottery ticket for her each week. She told me, “When, not if I win, 100% of it will end up going to benefit Park City non-profits.” It’s clear that the people of Park City are already winners just by being neighbors with Beano Solomon.