Gay Ski Week fishing for public funds

$30k wouldn’t hurt the event

Talk about a tough sell. The inaugural Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week brought in about 100 participants last March, according to its organizers, who are now beginning the process of soliciting funds from cash-strapped Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte to bring the event back next year.

“This is the ninth year for Gay Ski Week in Telluride and it is the third-busiest week they see in the ski season,” Straight Out Media owner John McGill told the Crested Butte Town Council at the June 6 meeting. Straight Out organizes both the Telluride and Crested Butte Gay Ski Weeks. “Telluride is one of the most popular Gay Ski Weeks in the nation and the first year brought in about the same numbers as we saw in Crested Butte this past winter.
“Our model there is to truly partner with the town and we want to do that here,” McGill continued. “In 2010 we were approached by [Crested Butte Mountain Resort] about bringing such an event here and the participation of the town exceeded our expectations. CBMR’s seed capital and in-kind support totaled $42,500 and funded initial planning, pre-production and marketing development of the event. This will not be the case in 2012 due to budget constraints as a result of CBMR’s obligations to the airline program.”
So McGill said the money would have to come from somewhere else. “To move forward, it is critical to secure the support of the Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte community at a minimum contribution level of $30,000,” he explained.
While it was not yet a formal request, McGill said the support was a necessity and could pay off in the long run.
“The numbers were light but mirrored Telluride’s first year,” McGill said. “One thing we didn’t anticipate was the level of support in Crested Butte. The people created events, raised money for the foundation and had pride flags flying up and down the street. We are confident this can grow and we are trying to figure out the best way to get community support to grow this.”
McGill’s business partner, Scott Barretto, said the company would try to get $30,000 between the two towns. “We are confident we can do some great things in Crested Butte,” he said, “but it takes time and money. We might need to apply for some admissions tax funds. We don’t expect money with this event until year four or five.”
Barretto said no specific week has been chosen in Crested Butte to host the event next ski season but organizers would consider making it closer to Telluride’s event.
Town manager Susan Parker reminded the organizers that unlike Mt. Crested Butte, Crested Butte does not have an admissions tax. In Mt. Crested Butte, the town collects a fee on tickets to events. “And you aren’t really eligible for a service grant since you are not a non-profit,” she said.
“But perhaps the Chamber of Commerce would be eligible,” added chamber executive director Richard Bond.
“Of course,” responded Parker. “But just get us a proposal before we start next year’s budget process in the fall.”
A formal proposal to request funding assistance for the event will be in the works.