The Jensens: Trust in Vail Health Inspires Planned Gift

Finding Community in Vail

Bill and Cheryl Jensen met in Lake Tahoe, California. In 1997, a career opportunity for Bill to lead ski resort operations brought the couple to Breckenridge, Colorado. A few years later, they relocated to Vail when Bill took another leadership position at Vail Resorts.

The Jensens quickly integrated into the community by volunteering to help others and serving on numerous boards. Cheryl taught adaptive skiing while they were living in Breckenridge. Seeing the transformative effect on participants later influenced her to start the Vail Veterans Program.

She was also a member of the Shaw Outreach Team, Vail Health’s committee that fundraised to create Jack’s Place, a cancer caring house. Cheryl was recently inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame for her Colorado-based efforts to assist severely wounded veterans.

Bill was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Having lived in many ski resort towns, he finds the health care available here incredibly unique. “Vail Health touches lives and provides life-sustaining care,” says Bill. “It’s just a tremendous asset to the community.”

The Jensens are grateful that Vail Health has remained an independent community hospital, thanks to benefactors. Cheryl and Bill value Vail Health’s ability to respond to the community’s changing needs. Their trust in our leadership inspired them to support Vail Health annually and in an estate gift.

“We give because we trust the direction Vail Health is going—they understand what the area of greatest need is going to be now and in the future,” says Cheryl.