In the aftermath of the fire at the Caribou Shopping Center on October 9, 2025, management at Eldora Ski Resort wanted to help those impacted by the fire.
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The staff of Canyon Cares: Cindy Goodrich, Nancy Von Schulz, Lindy Lewis, Chuck Berginc, and Susan Simone.
PEAK TO PEAK — The initial challenge was pretty simple: In the aftermath of the fire at the Caribou Shopping Center on October 9, 2025, management at Eldora Ski Resort wanted to help those impacted by the fire by using their Play Forever Sustainability Fund to collect donations.
In a Facebook post just six days after the blaze, Eldora launched their Ashes to Action Challenge fundraiser and pledged to match donations up to $10,000. The response from friends and followers of Eldora was immediate.
Donations quickly exceeded $10,000 in the first week. On October 22, Eldora upped their matching contribution to $20,000. The final tally for the Ashes to Action Challenge fundraiser came in at $91,621 from 283 unique donors and $20,000 from Eldora Mountain Resort for a total of $111,621.
Eldora announced the results on their website (eldora.com/blogs-and-news) and wrote a thank you post to all who contributed.
“Thanks to your incredible generosity, the Ashes to Action campaign raised over $111,000 for fire relief," the post read. "We're so grateful to this community for stepping up when our neighbors needed it most."
The funds were split equally between three trusted local organizations:
Canyon Cares: $37,207
Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA): $37,207
The three organizations are working together to make sure funds reach as many people as possible without overlapping. All three organizations can assist with things like: Rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, medical expenses, car repairs, transportation costs, food support, and clothing and essential items.
Support isn't limited to Nederland residents: Anyone in the Peak to Peak community affected by the fire can apply.
Karen Seifert, the President of Canyon Cares, wrote: “Canyon Cares is proud to partner with Eldora and the Ashes to Action Fund to help those affected by the Caribou Village Fire. We are committed to effectively distributing the funds raised by this incredible campaign, made possible by donations from generous community members and matching contributions from the Eldora Play Forever Fund."
Eldora's flagship community support program is Play Forever Wednesday. On designated Wednesdays throughout the ski season, $20 from every lift ticket goes directly to fund Play Forever. Last season, Eldora sent more than $69,000 to local nonprofits, according to Hunter Wright, Eldora's director of sustainability and project development.
Eldora also provides regular annual sponsorships and donations to a number of local organizations including Nederland Farmers Market, Wild Bear Nature Center, Nederland Food Pantry, Ignite Adaptive Sports, and TEENS, Inc.
"This local relief effort reflects Eldora’s Play Forever’s commitment to showing up for our community, especially in moments of crisis," the organization wrote on Facebook. "The goal is simple: help our neighbors stabilize and find their footing as they navigate what comes next."
