Phoenix Ski Hill has raised over $8,000 towards a second snow groomer, according to General Manager, James Hall.
The hill suspended operations for a week in mid-February, following the breakdown of Phoenix’s lone groomer, a 20-year-old snow caterpillar nicknamed “Snowman.”
Money started pouring in Friday, March 26, when Phoenix launched a donation drive through the Grand Forks Credit Union and the crowd-source fundraising website, GoFundMe.com. Hall said Phoenix hopes to raise $125,000, which he said would be put toward a moderately used snow caterpillar.
Snowman would be retired from active duty but would continue to serve as a backup machine.
“Equipment breaks down, so it’d be nice to have another machine so that when that happens, we wouldn’t have to shut down like we did earlier this year,” Hall explained.
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It cost roughly $25,000 to get Snowman back up and running — a hefty sum considering the ski hill operates as a non-profit society.
Over 60 donors from Grand Forks and surrounding areas have given around $8,175 as of Sunday afternoon, according to the campaign’s website.
Phoenix delayed its 2021 season-opener due to pandemic constraints. The ski hill closed for the spring at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 28, according to its website.
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