The Scholarships

Every year the Bindu Sky Memorial Fund backs young athletes who live with heart, stoke and love for this mountain community. There is one application and one short video. We watch every submission and match each scholarship to the award and honoree that fits.

  • Applications open: Friday, October 9, 2026

  • Deadline: Friday, November 20, 2026

  • Awarded: on stage at the Bindu Spirit Awards, Thursday, December 10 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center

Who can apply

Eagle County student-athletes in any sport. Skiers and riders, runners, climbers, gymnasts and everyone in between. Apply on your own: one athlete, one video.

How to apply

  1. Make a 2 to 3 minute video that tells your story (ideas below). A phone is plenty. Film horizontally if you can.

  2. Upload it anywhere we can watch without signing in: YouTube (unlisted is fine), Vimeo, Google Drive or similar. Check that the link opens in a private browser window.

  3. Fill out the short form at the bottom of this page with your name, email, sport and video link.

  4. Submit by Friday, November 20, 2026.

What to put in your video

Tell it your way. Action, training, everyday life and community moments are all welcome. Some questions to get you started:

  • Who are you, and where do you come from?

  • How have the mountains shaped you?

  • What got you into your sport, and what does stoke mean to you?

  • What keeps you going through setbacks?

  • Who supports you: coaches, teammates, family, community?

  • What would a scholarship make possible for you?

  • What are your goals, and how do you hope to give back?

Keep it clean: no explicit language.

What we look for

Results matter, but they are not the whole story. We look for heart, passion for your sport, resilience, authenticity and how you show up for your community. Story matters far more than production quality.

The form has one optional question about whether cost is a barrier in your sport. Your answer is kept private and helps us support athletes who need it most.

The awards

You apply once. After review, we match each scholarship to one of five named awards:

  • Bindu Spirit Award: for an athlete with a passion for life that Bindu would have admired

  • Lily Connelly Female Athlete of the Year Award: for a female athlete who shows outstanding athletic achievement and community involvement

  • Nick Courtens Community Member Award: for an athlete who shows real care for and stewardship of the community

  • Tony Seibert "Pardee On" Award: for an athlete with a powerful love of life in the mountains

  • Nick Whittemore "Do Better Try Harder" Award: for an athlete who demonstrates passion, dedication and leadership in freeride skiing and their community

Learn about each of them: Meet Bindu and Friends.

If you receive a scholarship

Scholarships are given through our fiscal sponsor, the Eagle Valley Community Foundation. We will ask how you plan to use your award, for receipts showing how it was used, and for basic information needed for tax reporting.

Questions? Email Samuel Bennett at samuel.bennett425@gmail.com.