Vail Resorts spends a week building with Habitat Vail Valley
More than 100 Vail Resorts employees volunteer at Stratton Flats in Gypsum
Eric Dunn/Vail Resorts courtesy photo
More than 100 Vail Resorts employees volunteered this past week at Stratton Flats in Gypsum, Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley’s affordable 76-home development. Vail Resorts has a long history of supporting and volunteering with Habitat, but this year it feels even more special.
Doug Alexandre, a Vail lift dispatcher, spent one of the days building homes, working beside his coworkers. At the end of the year, he will be moving into his Habitat home in Vail.
“I moved to Vail in 2009 to work in the ski industry. I never thought I’d be here 16 years later, and I certainly never thought I could be a homeowner here,” Alexandre said. “Being a Habitat homeowner means giving back to the community. I’m grateful for the chance to own a home and be able to remain in the Vail area, a place I’ve grown to love.”
A few of Vail’s core tenets are to Have Fun, Be Safe, Serve Others and Do Good — all of which the Vail Resorts volunteers took to heart. From tiling and painting to landscaping, the crew came and worked. While they talked and joked, they were serious about making a difference and building community with Eagle County locals.
“Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley is about more than building homes, it’s about building a future where longtime locals, families, and team members can thrive,” said Bobby Murphy, COO of Beaver Creek. “Through Build Week, we also honor the late Gary Shimanowitz, whose leadership and commitment to Habitat helped inspire this tradition. When we come together as a vibrant, creative, and connected community, we create lasting opportunities and a true sense of belonging in the Vail Valley.”
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The partnership began years ago and continues to this day. In 2022, Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley received a $300,000 grant from Beaver Creek Resort and Vail Mountain through the company’s EpicPromise program. The pledge supported Habitat’s initiative to Double Our Impact — building 46 homeownership opportunities between 2022 and 2024. The building continues: In 2025, Habitat is building 30 homes in celebration of its 30-year anniversary.
“We’re so excited to continue to foster our relationship between Habitat and Vail Resorts, working together to build homes and hope while retaining community. Doug is just one example of our essential workforce who can now put down roots in Eagle County,” said Elyse Howard, the vice president of community affairs and philanthropy for Habitat Vail Valley.
Over the past 30 years, Habitat Vail Valley has built 146 homes, investing $35 million into affordable housing infrastructure, which has helped 529 people on their journey to homeownership. From 2025 to 2028, Habitat Vail Valley plans to exceed the 200-home mark three ways: traditional stick-built, modular construction and originating zero-interest mortgages through partnerships with local government and for-profit developers.
“In the next three years, we will work to partner to build 71 new affordable homeownership opportunities for health care workers, educators and Vail Resorts employees who will continue to strengthen the fabric of our community. We’re working to ensure our critical workforce can put down roots to ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of our community,” Howard said.
