With a 2000-2001 season already highlighted by record attendance, a beautiful new base lodge addition and being the scene of a Hollywood feature film, Wachusett Mountain Ski Area can add numerous national, regional and local awards to its list of accomplishments for the 2000-2001 season. Several of the awards were presented at last week's National Ski Areas Association National Convention and Trade Show in Palm Springs, CA. The various honors included:

ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE

• Silver Eagle Award for Energy Conservation presented by Mountain Sports Media (Publisher of Ski, Skiing and Freeze Magazines). Wachusett Mountain Ski Area was recognized as one of six Silver Eagle award winners nationwide among more than 50 entries from 26 ski areas. Wachusett was cited for having invested more than $2.5 million in energy savings measures since 1992 resulting in a savings more than three million kilowatt hours. The Silver Eagle Award is presented annually as part of Mountain Sports Media's Golden Eagle Award program established in 1993 to recognize the environmental achievements of ski areas across the country. In the Energy Conservation category, Wachusett was selected over Breckenridge, CO
• In 1999 Wachusett Mountain was a finalist for the Golden Eagle Award in the category of "overall environmental excellence."
• National Ski Areas Association Sustainable Slopes Marketing Outreach Award recognizing Wachusett's outstanding environmental education efforts. In receiving the award, Wachusett Mountain was cited for "an extraordinary job of raising the visibility of Sustainable Slopes and communicating a strong message of environmental commitment to the public. The NSAA Sustainable Slopes program is the environmental charter for ski areas nationwide recognizing the efforts made outreach and education, signage and printed materials, implementation of the charter's Environmental Principles and raising awareness of the Environmental Code of the Slopes.

SAFETY

• National Ski Areas Association Ski Area Safety Award. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area received this recognition in the 250,000-500,000 skier visit category along with Bear Mountain, CA. As part of NSAA's Heads Up Safety Campaign, the award recognized ski areas that showed creativity, involved their entire mountain staff and demonstrated tremendous effort in getting the word out positively about slope safety awareness.
• National Ski Patrol Eastern Division Outstanding Patrol Award. Wachusett Mountain Ski Patrol received Outstanding Eastern Division Ski Patrol. 200 ski patrols from throughout the eastern United States were eligible for award. The Wachusett ski patrol is also one of 10 finalists for the National Ski Patrol Outstanding Patrol Award, which the patrol did win in 1987. Edee McNamara of Sterling, a member of the Wachusett Ski Patrol for more than 20 years, was also honored this spring with the outstanding Instructor's Award from the National Ski Patrol Eastern Division.

MARKETING / COMMUNITY SERVICE

• National Ski Areas Association Marketing Award. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area received this award in the 250,000-500,000 skier visit category for its GET (Guaranteed Easy Turn) Skiing Program under the heading of "Best Program to Convert New Participants to Core Participants." Wachusett was recognized for its program over Mountain Creek, NJ; Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA; The Canyons, UT. Wachusett was noted for "targeting new participants with an enticing offer to return and enlisting ski instructors to personalize the invitation to continue with the sport."
• Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce 2001 Business of the Year. The award included a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives praising Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. The declaration read "Your commitment to the land, water, energy conservation, environmental protection and community support is of the highest caliber and is truly to be commended."