Whistler Blackcomb Foundation doles out more than $318K to community groups

More than a dozen community groups in the Sea to Sky are the lucky recipients of funding from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation (WBF) this winter.

The WBF announced it donated more than $318,000 to 16 different organizations in a release on Dec. 18.

“The foundation is committed to helping organizations that benefit residents of the Sea to Sky corridor. It is truly rewarding to disburse grant funds to these amazing local non-profits who are working tirelessly to continue to improve our communities,” said Mei Madden, executive director of the WBF, in the release.

The biggest recipient in this fall’s round of funding is homeless youth advocacy organization Zero Ceiling, which received $50,000, followed by $40,000 to strengthen food security programs at Sea to Sky Community Services.

The Whistler Professional Firefighters Association, meanwhile, received nearly $31,000 for formal mental health training for the peer support team at Whistler Fire Rescue.

Arts Whistler received just under $28,000 for its sound system replacement project, while the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association got nearly $28,000 to buy e-bikes for trail maintenance workers.

Further, the Squamish Helping Hands Society received $25,000 for its Meals on Wheels program, and the Squamish Food Bank Society was granted $16,000 to support its food hub programs.

Other successful recipients this fall were the St'at'imc Northern Tribe Powwow Society, BC Luge Association, Signal Hill Elementary School, Whistler Film Festival Society, Axemen Rugby Club, Pemberton Off Road Cycling Association, Pemberton Canoe Association, and the Whistler Gymnastics Club.

“The Foundation also matched all Whistler Blackcomb employee donations to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Environmental Fund, which supports environmental projects in the Sea to Sky Corridor,” the release said.

The WBF has donated more than $19 million in financial grants to registered Sea to Sky charities since its inception in 1992, making it the largest fundraising organization in the area.

Its mandate is to support larger, more everlasting community projects, as well as to build a stronger relationship with residents of the community.

The WBF offers grants to groups that offer benefits to locals in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts and culture, and the environment, with a special emphasis on youth and family programs.

You can help support the WBF at its popular charity fundraising event, the TELUS Winter Classic, on March 1 and 2, 2024.

Learn more at whistlerblackcombfoundation.com.