The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
What’s the right avenue?
At the behest of Crested Butte Mayor Aaron Huckstep, the town will reach out to other local groups and see if there is an appropriate way to help local world-class athletes who might need a financial boost.
Huckstep brought up the topic at the Monday, February 4 Crested Butte Town Council meeting. He said there was an opportunity to assist local X Games half pipe skier Aaron Blunck, who is making a splash on the world scene. No formal request has been made to the Crested Butte Town Council to financially support Blunck. Mt. Crested Butte is searching for a way to comfortably donate money from their marketing fund, but hasn’t found a solution.
“When it comes to situations like an Aaron Blunck or a [USA ski team slalom skier] David Chodounsky, it appears to me we should be able to find ways to work together. It’s a great opportunity to support local athletes and get the word out about Crested Butte,” Huckstep said. “It benefits them and the entire valley.”
“Putting it in the context of being an ambassador for the community could be good for the entire community,” said councilperson Glenn Michel.
“We definitely should support world-class athletes from here,” added Councilperson Roland Mason. “It’s great Crested Butte recognition. It’s a show of support and a benefit to us. There was Emma Coburn in the Olympics last summer. Now Aaron and David both have a shot at the upcoming Winter Olympics. It’s great to have the Crested Butte name out there in places like that.”
“My only caution is that there are a lot of great athletes around here,” said councilperson Jim Schmidt. “Do we sponsor someone in the Leadville 100?”
“It makes all the sense in the world,” said Councilman Shaun Matusewicz. “Maybe the criteria are that they are participating in World Cup-type events. We’re a mountain sports community after all.”
“You have some money to play with in the budget,” said acting town manager Bob Gillie. “Are you doing it for promotional reasons? To help local kids? To move their careers forward? That will determine where the money would come from. It might have to go through a local non-profit like the Crested Butte Snowsports Foundation or Gunnison Valley Foundation.”
“Maybe we need to work with Mt. Crested Butte and the tourism association or the chamber of commerce,” said Huckstep. “Maybe we need to all get together and figure this out better.”
Michel suggested working toward a more comprehensive town plan that would define ways to support local athletes and get promotional value for the town. But he said an overall economic development plan should perhaps be formed to help delineate these types of financial support requests so that there is an overall focus for the town.
“We’re always hearing a lot of ad hoc ideas from each other and people who come to the council,” Michel said. “Maybe we need a better focus for these types of requests—do it in a reasoned, focused way instead of reacting to a bunch of ad hoc ideas, a more deliberate economic development plan that would help show us a good use of such money. Maybe it’s money spent on better lights on Elk Avenue or a new mower for a nicer park or maybe it’s an athlete sponsorship.”
Huckstep said that he and Gillie should get together and touch base with other valley entities that might be willing to tackle the idea of local athlete sponsorships.
“This is a good opportunity for cooperation with various groups like Mt. Crested Butte, the ski area and the chamber,” said Huckstep. “These kinds of world-class athletes can have a good message for Crested Butte and the valley. There is a big difference between the Leadville 100 and international competitions like the X Games and Olympics. This is a good conversation to start.”
Huckstep said he would broach the subject at the next “Mayors and Managers” meeting and report back to the council.
