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Vermont ski resort announces it will change ‘insensitive’ name

POMFRET, Vt. — A popular Vermont ski resort announced it is changing its name after concerns about the insensitive nature of the mountain’s historical name.

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The resort, known as Suicide Six since it opened in 1936, said it would be rebranding later this summer, WPTZ-TV reported.

Resort officials released a statement on its website Tuesday, saying the name change reflected increasing awareness surrounding mental health.

“Our resort team embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health and shares the growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name,” the resort said in its statement. “The feelings that the word ‘suicide’ evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community.”

The resort is credited with being the first major skiing area in the U.S., CNN reported. U.S. Skiing Hall of Famer Wallace “Bunny” Bertram installed a primitive rope tow system on the mountain, which many experts call the first ski lift.

Bertram, who died in 1981, changed the name of the mountain from Hill 6 to Suicide Six, the news organization reported.

Resort officials said the company’s new name, which will be announced “in the coming weeks,” will reflect and celebrate what makes it a treasured tourist spot.

“Though some may find the change difficult, we stand by our conviction that this evolution is warranted for an iconic treasure and, more importantly, necessary to continue its rich history of inclusion and accessibility,” the company said on its website.

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