Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Whistler Blackcomb Foundation announces $190,000 in grants to Sea to Sky non-profits

Organization has handed out over $8 million in charitable grants since 1993
sports_upcoming2
RIGHT ON TRACK The future site of a BMX track near Bayly Park in Cheakamus Crossing. The Whistler BMX club will receive a $35,000 Whistler Blackcomb Foundation grant for the purchase of a starting gate. File Photo

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation (WBF), which supports non-profit organizations across the Sea to Sky, announced the recipients of its spring funding period this week, totaling over $190,000 in charitable grants.

"The Foundation is committed to enhancing and helping organizations in the Sea to Sky corridor with an emphasis on those that benefit children, youth and families," said executive director Mei McCurdy in a release.

The largest grant of $36,000 will go to the Whistler chapter of the national KidSport organization, which provides financial assistance to children of financially restricted families to participate in sport programs. The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation has been a title sponsor of KidSport Whistler for 17 years.

"The Foundation has been supporting this wonderful program since 1997, but the need has increased quite a bit over the years, therefore we have chosen to give a significant donation this funding period to make sure more local children have the opportunity to actively participate in sports," McCurdy said.

The Whistler BMX club will receive $35,000 to purchase a start-gate for an incoming BMX track, which recently received municipal approval. Construction on the track located at Bayly Park in Cheakamus Crossing is expected to begin this summer, according to the foundation.

"The WBF has been a big supporter of the new BMX track in Pemberton and we've witnessed it bring the community together," McCurdy wrote. We're looking forward to seeing the results of this new addition to the Whistler community."

Another $35,000 will go to the Whistler Public Library to help finish the deck located just outside the library, which "will be a great complement to Florence Petersen Park," according to the release, creating an additional point of access to the library. The deck will also provide ample space for additional library, non-profit and municipal programming.

The Squamish Food Bank will be granted $15,000 to help purchase food supplies and a delivery truck. Staff at the Squamish Food Bank, which receives over 6,000 visits per year, is gearing up for a service expansion in the near future.

The BC Luge Association will look to purchase new training sleds with their grant of $10,000. Since 2009, BC Luge has offered introductory training programs to 1,000 Sea to Sky students from Grade 5 to 7.

The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, set to kick off its 13th year in October, will put $7,800 in grant money toward its Local Literacy program, which will bring one local and one feature Canadian author to corridor schools for a presentation on writing. Each student will also receive a book.

Another $7,100 will be given to the Whistler Firefighters Association for public education resources, while the Whistler Waldorf School Society will receive $6,680 for the purchase of science and technology equipment.

The Spud Valley Nordics will also benefit from $6,000 to purchase equipment for their cross country racing program for Pemberton and Mount Currie youth aged 10 to 18.

Other grant recipients include the Whistler Minor Hockey Association, the Whistler Youth Centre, the Howe Sound Women's Centre, the Pemberton Canoe Association, the Point Artist-Run Centre Society, Whistler Sea Wolves Sea Club and JUMP Math.

The WBF also matched all Whistler Blackcomb employee donations to the foundation's environmental fund, which supports environmental projects in the Sea to Sky. Over $16,000 was donated to the fund in 2013.

Since 1993, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation has handed out more than $8-million in grants.

Application submission deadlines are October 1 and April 1 of each year. Visit www.whistlerblackcombfoundation.com for more information.