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 for its dedication to and impact on youth sports in Utah.

The distinction was awarded 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 – features youth winter sport programs in skating, skiing, sliding sports and more across Utah. These programs are offered to all ages and ability levels with several scholarship options to reduce the barriers to sport participation.

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

A key driver of 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 over 750 4th and 5th-grade students in Kearns and includes transportation, instruction, and equipment. The initiative has since 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 & CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “By breaking down barriers to participation, they empower young people across Utah 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 funded over $276,000 in subsidized sporting opportunities through the Healthy Communities program, and provided another $177,000 in scholarships, between 2018 and 2022. Healthy Communities and UOLF scholarships have benefitted over 3,200 kids.