The Northwestern Mutual Foundation recently awarded a $5,000 matching gift to the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy. The gift was part of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s mission to create real and sustainable social impact in the communities Northwestern Mutual serves. Northwestern Mutual-Vail Valley and Steve and Shelly Shanley sponsored the gift and presented a check to Geoff Grimmer, Principal of Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy, and Aldo Radamus, Executive Director, of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail.

“We support quality education and believe the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy provides an outstanding opportunity for winter sports athletes to receive inspiring academics combined with excellence in athletics,” said Steve Shanley, Managing Director for Northwestern Mutual. “As wealth management advisors, we know some of the most rewarding investments are the ones that make a lasting, positive impact in your community.”

Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy (VSSA) is a 5th – 12th grade Eagle County public school dedicated to full-time Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) athletes.  Founded in 2007, VSSA offers a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum supported by innovative technology and flexible programming, individualized as needed, to enable student athletes to succeed while balancing academics and a heavy training and competition travel schedule.   As a pre-requisite to a student attending VSSA they must be accepted as a full-time athlete at SSCV.  SSCV, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1962 to provide training and competition programs for aspiring young ski racers, remains true to its roots today, instilling values of character, courage and commitment in more than 600 youngsters in its Alpine, Freeskiing, Freestyle, Nordic and Snowboarding programs.  For more information on VSSA or SSCV-www.skiclubvail.org or info@skiclubvail.org.

About Northwestern Mutual

The Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Stephen R. Shanley, CLU, ChFC Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Advisor, provide comprehensive wealth management, investment advisory, trust and financial security planning services.

Northwestern Mutual is among the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2013 according to FORTUNE® magazine and has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 156 years. As a mutual company with $1.4 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.