Michael and Heather Koopman became aware of Park City Community Foundation through the Park City Giving Guide when they moved to Park City two years ago They were blown away by how many nonprofits were doing good work in Park City. The Koopmans think the Giving Guide is terrific and use it to help their kids select nonprofits to give to during Live PC Give PC. We are thrilled that the Koopmans are part of our community and choose to use Park City Community Foundation as their vehicle for giving.
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: After spending time in Park City over many winters and summers at a shared family home, we are happy to now call Park City our full-time residence. We relocated from Manhattan Beach, CA, two years ago with our kids Sam (9) and Kate (7). Heather was raised in Dallas and Michael is from New York, but we both moved to Los Angeles after college. We managed to live there for more years than we ever imagined possible. We have enjoyed a slower pace and more active lifestyle in Park City with the bonus of not having to battle LA traffic every day. Michael is a REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Utah Properties. Heather currently works at the new home decor store, found on main.
Q: How do you fit giving into your life here?
A: We moved here for the lifestyle. Park City offers a great quality of life and everyone should be able to take advantage of it. It’s one of the reasons we support the Solomon Fund with their goal of creating a more inclusive community by increasing Latino participation in sports and recreation. We like that it evens the playing field on the small scale of youth sports. All children should have the opportunity to be active through sports whether that be trying ballet, soccer or skiing. We need a community that encourages all kids to get out in play in our backyard.
We are both involved in Heather’s family foundation which is dedicated to championing children’s educational growth through support at school and within the family. Without exposure into extracurricular activities a child’s educational future may be limited. The Solomon Fund understands that active children do better in life including higher academic achievement.
Q: How would you spend your perfect Park City day?
A: In the summer, we’d be hiking or golfing followed by having friends over for dinner and end the night watching the sunset with cocktails on our porch.
Q: What is it about Park City Community Foundation that you love?
A: Being fairly new to Park City, we were struck by the sense of community here and that made us want to get involved. Park City Community Foundation was one of our first connections when we got here to see where the needs were in the community and how to become involved, whether through donations or volunteering. We love how Park City Community Foundation brings the community together. We really like living in a smaller community where you feel like you can make an impact. We work hard to try to develop a culture of giving back with our own children, whether that’s volunteering or holding signs to build awareness for Live PC Give PC.
If you would like to learn more about the Solomon Fund, CLICK HERE. If you’re interested in supporting our work and meeting other generous, passionate people like the Koopman’s, consider joining our Crest Speaker Series, CLICK HERE.