This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Employees and customers of Utah's three Breeze Ski & Snowboard Rental stores raised $2,704 for the Utah Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this winter.
With Breeze's parent company, Vail Resorts, adding 50 cents for every dollar raised in the firm's Adopt-a-Cause campaign, the society will receive $4,055 for its efforts to cure leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma through blood-cancer research.
"Since leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under age 20, we are relentless in our pursuit of finding a cure. Funds raised by Breeze Rentals and their customers will definitely help us," said Leukemia & Lymphoma Society spokeswoman Kristen Ricks.
The fundraiser involved employees at 165 sporting goods stores in four states (Utah, Colorado, California and Nevada) that are part of Vail Resort's retail division, Specialty Sports Venture. Breeze has two shops in Park City, one in Salt Lake City.
Between Thanksgiving weekend and Jan. 8, employees and customers donated $143,800 to various charitable organizations. Vail Resorts pitched in an additional $69,500.
Utah's Breeze employees "wanted to touch the life of cancer," said group sales manager Brienna Lowe. "Cancer has touched nearly everyone's life in one way or another. Each member of our team was personally dedicated to this cause. Despite the solemn topic, our team found humorous and memorable ways of involving our guests in our efforts to help end this disease."