Dewey Mountain Ski area was the training ground for four Olympic biathlon medalists. Kids were brought there after school to learn to ski. The old lodge was a drafty shed with one stove for heat, and the town finally condemned it. A group of local citizens offered their time and labor to build a new lodge and asked Cloudsplitter to help with a fundraising campaign. Our matching grants were combined with those from two other individuals creating a match for the public. Nearly 400 people contributed and in 2015 the new lodge was opened.
Grant Analysis: A huge success
The lodge has become a community focal point. The campaign included dozens of volunteers who have become a fraternity, and hundreds of donors who believe that the lodge is in part theirs, as it is. Our grant and the other lead gifts let these hundreds of people buy a stake in their community, inspired pride, and is now helping another generation of potential athletes.
- Grant Name: Dewey Mountain Ski Lodge
- Project Size: $385,000
- Grant Amount: $115,000 (2014)
- Strategic Value: Making Saranac Lake a Nordic ski destination