The Satkiewicz family and close friends, in partnership with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, today announced the launch of the Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund.
The fund was created to honor the legacy of Mark Satkiewicz, who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, August 1, 2020, from a cardiac incident while riding his bike with friends near his home in Steamboat, Coloroado. Mark was a dedicated husband and father, and an incredible friend to many. He was the visionary and co-founder of the world-class gravel event, SBT GRVL, and also served as President of Smartwool, General Manager of Tom’s Shoes, and was a long-time Nike executive.
The mission of the Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund is to provide gear and resources to Steamboat Springs youth who may not have access to these in order to pursue outdoor activities such as biking, snowboarding, and skiing. The fund will be a key way to continue with Mark’s quest for inclusivity in the activities for which he held the most passion.
Mark knew the power of the community as a vehicle for positive change. This was evidenced by his dedication to his hometown of Steamboat, the many successful teams he led throughout his executive career, and most recently, the global-reaching community that grew up around the super successful launch of SBT GRVL, a gravel cycling event that debuted in 2019.
“Every community Mark was a part of benefited greatly from his vision and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion – from business to cycling,” said Mark’s close friend Ken Benesh, who founded SBT GRVL, with Mark and Amy Charity. “Through this fund, we can now further Mark’s passion for enabling more kids to develop a lifelong love for outdoor sports and take on new challenges in doing so.”
He was an active mentor to so many in business, sport, and life, and he saw to it that men and women were given equal opportunity no matter where he was focusing his energy. There’s no doubt that this steady commitment to parity stemmed from his absolute dedication to his wife, Amy, and his beautiful daughters, Olivia and Mia.
Learn more about the fund or to make a donation here.