“Change does not roll in on the wheel of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reflecting, learning and listening about the unjust death of George Floyd I am proud to say that The Fairbank Group joins the countless other voices in America in saying we can and must do better. We will continue to lead in our industry and in regions where our businesses are located. Racism, sexism or any kind of discrimination have absolutely no place at The Fairbank Group's enterprises. It is our responsibility not only to listen, but also to inspire action.
Dr. King’s quote illustrates the perpetual struggle of minorities in our society who are disaffected and marginalized. The Fairbank Group aims to serve our employees, families, and communities to help listen, learn and come together. Our goal is to create equitable and healthy communities at all our mountains, enhance lives and create environments where people feel like they belong. Nothing short of a unified approach by all can move us forward.
At our resorts, we lead by participating in, sponsoring and donating to community grassroots organizations that help the most vulnerable people. As an example, we are a sponsor of Youth and Enrichment Services (YES), an organization inspired by Dr. King that is grounded in addressing racial, social, and economic justice. We work with YES to provide access to our ski resorts to hundreds of inner-city children every year at no cost. We are dedicated to many not-for-profit organizations, and we will do even more.
We further pledge to take a leadership position in our industry to:
Ensure leadership staff participate in the National Ski Area Association’s (NSAA) Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) educational programming;
Increase diversity training amongst all of our staff;
Continue to support not-for-profit associations dedicated to inclusivity and growth in snow sports and outdoor recreation;
Add “diversity” language to our core value, “Foster People Relationships” to ensure that this concept is more deeply embedded in our culture;
Establish a Diversity Team to ensure we are leading industry inclusivity initiatives;
We all have a role to play to support an anti-racist culture, and we have significant work to do together to meet that responsibility.
Tyler Fairbank CEO, The Fairbank Group