This winter, SOS Outreach expects to serve about 200 Summit County youths in its introductory learn to ski and ride program and its mentor program, both of which kick off this month.

Local children will be able to get on the mountain thanks to SOS Outreach’s partnership with Keystone Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort in addition to community partners Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, the Family & Intercultural Resource Center and Blue River Horse Rescue.

SOS Outreach works to cultivate social and emotional skills centered on the knowledge, values and attitudes necessary for children to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions, according to a news release. This year, the nonprofit is emphasizing the mental health benefit of its programming for children amid the pandemic.

According to Executive Director Seth Ehrlich, the nonprofit is experiencing a record number of families applying for financial assistance in Summit County for this winter. Ehrlich said all gifts until Dec. 31 will be matched, up to a total of $85,000, by Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam.

For more information and to contribute, visit SOSOutreach.org.