Killington Donates $10,000 to Small Ski Area in Need: “This Is What the Ski Industry Is All About”

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated May 19, 2025 2:39 PM ET

Killington, Vermont has donated $10,000 to support Whaleback Mountain, a New Hampshire-based non-profit ski area raising money in the hopes of repairing its broken chairlift.

In February, Whaleback Mountain’s operations team determined that its lone lift had suffered a gearbox bearing failure. Two weeks later, the ski area announced that it would need $250,000 to fix the lift and maintain off-season operations, asking the broader ski community to pitch in what they could.

For Whaleback Mountain, meeting the funding goal was essential. The double lift is the only ropeway that accesses the ski area’s summit. Without it, Whaleback Mountain wouldn’t be able to offer lift-served top-to-bottom skiing next winter, threatening significant revenue loss.

Killington, among numerous others, heeded the call. The Vermont ski resort donated the proceeds from its closing day earlier this month, plus an additional bonus gift, producing the $10,000 that was sent to Whaleback Mountain.

The gift was appreciated.

“This is what the ski industry is all about. Thank you @killingtonmtn & everyone who came out to support the whale!” Whaleback Mountain wrote beneath Killington’s social media post announcing the donation.

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A post shared by Killington Resort (@killingtonmtn)

Killington’s donation likely helped push the fundraising effort over the line. Over the weekend, Whaleback Mountain shared that it had successfully raised more than $250,000 and stabilized its operations. Repairs on the chairlift will begin by July, the ski area noted in a social media update.

“Thank you for believing in this mountain,” Whaleback Mountain wrote.

At the time of writing, Whaleback Mountain’s fundraising tracker hadn’t yet accounted for the completion of the fundraising goal. However, the tracker did include several stats that, if anything, prove that skiers and snowboarders are always game to support a smaller ski area in need.

The donations, according to the tracker, have come from 34 different states and provinces, demonstrating that an international contingent chipped in. On average, the more than 800 donors contributed about $250.

Thanks to these donors, Whaleback Mountain’s humble two-seater will ride again.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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