Arizona Snowbowl and the Greater Flagstaff Chamber announced that the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center, First Chair Ski & Snowboard Rentals, Alpine Resource, and The Market of Dreams have been selected as first round recipients for the Snowbowl/Flagstaff Chamber COVID-19 Relief Fund. Each recipient will receive $7,500 of grant funding, and four more recipients will be announced in early September.
Last month, Snowbowl and the Chamber created the COVID-19 relief fund to benefit local small businesses. Funds for the program came from $60,000 raised from the ski resort’s spring season pass sales plus a contribution from resort owner James Coleman’s charitable foundation.
“We wanted to give back to the community in a meaningful way and we’re elated to have the opportunity to provide funding to four amazing businesses and organizations,” said Rob Linde, General Manager of Arizona Snowbowl. “The grant funding will help these recipients continue their mission and increase access to outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities in Flagstaff.”
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and Snowbowl have shared a longstanding partnership in the region since Snowbowl opened in 1938. The Chamber, founded in 1891 and dedicated to helping businesses succeed, became involved with Snowbowl early on and foresaw its contribution to the region’s economic success via tourism and visitation.
“The Chamber is intimately connected with the business community in Flagstaff and is a great conduit for access to the small businesses that really need financial support during these trying times,” said Julie Pastrick, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. “These grants will go a long way to help these businesses that have been affected by COVID-19 to pay their bills without worrying about repayment.”
Applications are open through August 28 for the remaining four grants and the final recipients will be announced in early September. For more information on the relief fund, please visit snowbowl.ski. To learn more about the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, please visit flagstaffchamber.com
About Arizona Snowbowl
Situated in the majestic San Francisco Peaks at 9,500 feet and just 14 miles north of Flagstaff, Snowbowl is home to Arizona’s longest ski season. With state-of-the-art snowmaking and 260-inches of annual snowfall, Snowbowl offers the premier winter experience from November through April. In addition to the best beginner terrain in the Southwest, winter enthusiasts will enjoy Snowbowl’s naturally divided terrain, variety of trails, four terrain parks, premier tree skiing and expert hike-to terrain. Snowbowl is also the ideal summertime destination with cool temperatures and stunning views of Sedona’s red rocks, the cinder cone volcanic field and Grand Canyon’s rim on the scenic chairlift. Snowbowl continues to enhance its offerings with capital improvements, including a new high-speed combination lift for winter 2020. Please visit snowbowl.ski to learn more.
About the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce is an independent, non-profit organization supported by its members through donations, membership dues and fundraising events in order to promote businesses and advocate on their behalf. The Chamber is not a government agency or a part of the City of Flagstaff, though there is collaboration on many initiatives. The Chamber was founded in 1891 as the Board of Trade, making it more than 125 years old.The Chamber knows that a great climate for businesses and organizations must be carefully curated and that their interests must be championed. The vast majority of its 1,100 members are small businesses employing less than 10 people. Please visit flagstaffchamber.com to learn more.
About the Beneficiaries
Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center – The Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center (KPAC) provides avalanche education, safety training, and snowpack information to enable safe, knowledgeable and empowering decision-making strategies aimed at skiers, snowboarders, and winter hikers recreating on the San Francisco peaks.
Alpine Resource – Alpine Resource provides day treatment and training to individuals with developmental disabilities in order to allow individuals to achieve a higher quality of life through engagement in community and recreational activities. Areas of skill development include language, physical, social, and community safety.
First Chair Rental Shop – First Chair Rental Shop offers quality ski, snowboard, and ski wear rentals and also provides a first-class tuning and repair shop to ensure winter sport enthusiasts are fully prepared when they hit the slopes.
The Market of Dreams -The Market of Dreams is a retail marketplace and entrepreneurship incubator that hosts a variety of tools to help local Flagstaff residents, who may be generational in poverty, into business ownership by dramatically reducing the cost of entering the market. The Market offers unique opportunities for community members to achieve individual growth, and provides a different perspective of Flagstaff for visitors seeking an authentic local experience.
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