WELCOME TO THE GRAND TRAVERSE SKI CLUB

WELCOME TO THE GRAND TRAVERSE SKI CLUB

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Donors over $250 will receive recognition on a special plaque to be displayed in Hickory Hills as well as a commemorative sponsorship pin

All funds donated to this project will be tracked in a restricted fund, only to be used for this project.  Fundraising progress will be tracked on our web site.  As funds are collected, improvements will be made during the off season until the project is  complete.

The GTSC has many other fund raising events, however, the money raised from these events is used to subsidize the cost of  our programs and equipment purchases.  Although we are a volunteer club, the fees we collect for our programs do not cover the cost of delivering the programs.  However, we are able to keep our program fees affordable because of fund- raising events such as the Steak Dinner, Warren Miller movie and ski swap.  These important events all generate revenue equired to supplement the costs of our clinics and purchase equipment such as gates, timers, drills, supplies, etc.

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The Grand Traverse Ski Club is a 501.c.3 non-profit organization.  All contributions to this project are tax-deductible.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Slalom Level Sponser                $50

Gian Slalom Level Sponser       $100

Super G Level Sponser              $250

Downhill Level Sponser              $500

World Cup Level Sponser         $5000

GTSC is a 501C3 Corp and donations are tax deductable

SNOW ON SWEDE

Click Here for donation progress

GTSC  PO Box 5157  Traverse City,  MI  49685  Lauraness@charter.net

SNOW ON SWEDE SYNOPSIS

Each year thousands of recreational enthusiasts enjoy the Hickory Hills Ski Area for snowboarding, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and recreational snow-shoeing.   In addition to the general public, many community organizations rely on Hickory Hills for their programs and activities including the Grand Traverse Ski Club, the Traverse City Central High School Varsity Ski Team (2008 State Champions!), the middle school ski teams of TC West Junior High and TC East Junior High as well as the TC High School Nordic Ski Club.   Clearly, the long-term financial viability of this tremendous community asset is an important issue for not only the City of Traverse City, but also for those families and young people who enjoy the accessible and affordable recreational opportunities available at Hickory.

One of the significant issues facing Hickory Hills is that snow-making is only available on half of the terrain.  The recent patterns of warmer winters have impacted Hickory Hills both in terms of the number of ski-able days and the overall capacity of the hill.  Following the warm winter of 2006/2007, the Grand Traverse Ski Club, in cooperation with the staff of Hickory Hills, developed a planned approach to establish snow-making capabilities on the back hills of “Swede” and “Waterfall”.  In November 2007, the Grand Traverse Ski Club initiated a capital improvement fund to raise $238,500 for the project with contributions expected from community members, grant awards and private foundations. To date, over $18,000 has been raised from community members and two private foundations.  Additionally, Rotary Charities has supported the project with a $40,000 challenge grant award.  The goal is that this grant awards will assist the Grand Traverse Ski Club to leverage other foundation and corporate funding in the community. 

The Grand Traverse Ski Club and the City of Traverse City share over fifty years of partnership at the Hickory Hills Ski Area, and will have shared responsibilities and joint accountability for the snow-making project.  At the February 19, 2008 meeting, the City of Traverse City approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Grand Traverse Ski Club in support of this project and its related fund-raising efforts.  The Ski Club, a 501.c.3 non-profit organization, will serve as the primary fund-raising vehicle for the project.  Additionally, the Ski Club will act as the fiscal agent for contributions and grant awards.  To that end, the Ski Club has established a restricted investment account for the sole purpose of the “Snow on Swede” campaign.  The City of Traverse City will contribute $82,000 towards the project including a new maintenance building, 400 feet of steel water pipe and the labor aspects of the project as well as provide the staff and supervision for implementation and future operation of the expanded snow-making.  

Project Goals

Increased snow making capabilities at Hickory Hills will benefit a wide range of the community including the over 12,000 users of Hickory Hills, the members of the Grand Traverse Ski Club, and the City of Traverse City in several ways: 

• Increased capacity for snow-making on the more challenging back hills, which are currently subject to natural snow conditions, will enhance the attractiveness of Hickory Hills to local skiers of all ages.
  

• Adding snow-making capabilities to the back hills will double the capacity of Hickory Hills and relieve over-crowding on weekends and holidays. 
  

• Snow-making on the back hills will improve safety by allowing for the separation of skiers and snowboarders as well as dedicated training and racing venues.  Currently, the snowboard area at Hickory Hills is contiguous to the beginner ski hill, posing a significant safety concern.
  

• Expansion of the ski-able terrain will allow for a dedicated terrain park area for snowboarders.  This would improve Hickory’s marketability for the increasing number of young people who snowboard.  Snowboarding is now as popular as skiing, particularly among young people.  The snow requirements for snowboard terrain parks are significant and cannot be obtained with natural snow. 
  

• Expanded snow-making will allow for Hickory to generate more revenue in the month of December by increasing the likelihood of being open Christmas week.  In those seasons that Hickory is able to open Christmas week, one-half of Hickory’s revenue is made in that one week. 
  

• Additional snow-making capacity will allow the Grand Traverse Ski Club to expand clinics and programs operated at Hickory Hills.  For the recent three years, many of the Grand Traverse Ski Club programs have filled to capacity due to lack of adequate hill space at Hickory Hills.  This has resulted in a number of interested young people not being able to participate in the instructional programs at Hickory Hills.
  

Snow on Swede will improve the operational efficiency of snow-making at Hickory reducing costs by almost half.

Finally, and most important, this investment will help protect the long term financial viability of Hickory Hills.  Improved financial performance benefits the City of Traverse City and its constituents in addition to protecting the natural resources and recreational programs at Hickory Hills for future generations.