Hundreds of people in candy cane-colored suits gathered at the bottom of a mountain in the Angeles National Forest Sunday morning to ride the chairlift together, up to the top.
Once there, the throng zoomed down the snowy slope at Mountain High Resorts. One woman bundled up in the familiar getup laughed and trudged back up the mountain with her snowboard in her arms.
They were celebrating Santa Sunday, an annual event that merges holiday cheer and climate activism. The concept is simple: Skiers and snowboarders get to do their thing dressed up as none other than Santa Claus, with donations going straight to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters.
"POW leads a community of athletes, thought pioneers and forward-thinking business leaders to affect systemic solutions to climate change. POW works creatively and opportunistically and focuses on three main areas: youth education, advocacy and community-based activism," the organization said in a press release.
A $20 ticket bought these Santas a full day on the slopes and photo ops with Mountain High Resort's mascot, Yeti. Their participation benefits an organization committed to protecting their winter playgrounds.
