MEASURE U SPOTLIGHT: MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN SKI PATROL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Tell us a little about your program/organization.
In 2017 former and current members of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol (MMSP) organized its first official reunion. Over 325 people attended the reunion. Past and current patrollers, family, and friends all got together and had a great time. People who had not seen each other reconnected, picking up conversations and friendships that began 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago. Generations of ski patrol members finally came together to share their stories and the love of the job.
After the first MMSP Reunion in 2017, it became obvious that the camaraderie of the job was alive and well. Previous members of the MMSP still wanted to a part of the organization they had spent time working with. In the Fall of 2018, the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol Alumni Association (MMSPAA) was formed. For the first time in MMSP’s 63 year history, past (and present) ski patrollers had a place to go after their ski patrol experience.
The MMSPAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity organization created to support the ongoing education and training pertaining to job-related fundamentals for the active members of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol (MMSP). Additionally, the MMSPAA assists in raising emergency funds for current ski patrol members who have been injured on the job, curates the history of the 60+ years of the MMSP and educates the public through our MMSPAA Ski tours.
MMSPAA members span the years of the history of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area from its beginning in 1954 and includes multiple generations with a roster of over 1200 members. Some of our members made a career of the profession, while others merely stopped by for a season to experience this life changing job. No matter the amount of time – something resonated deep inside of us and it’s been hard to shake ever since.
How does your program/organization impact the lives of people in Mammoth Lakes?
The MMSPAA has several programs that have a direct impact on the lives of both residents and visitors in Mammoth Lakes. First and foremost is our financial support for current members of the MMSP. Through our educational funding support we have directly assisted numerous current ski patrollers fund additional training. Over the past six years, the MMSPAA helped with financial support for 15 injured ski patrollers. These two programs directly assist in providing and retaining well trained experienced professional ski patrollers to better serve the skiing public and provide a safer skiing experience at Mammoth Mountain.
The MMSPAA ski tours provide an insight into the daily activities of the ski patrol. The tours help skiers to better understand how the ski patrol provides a skiing experience. Feedback from skiers who have taken tours has been overwhelmingly positive. MMSPAA also is involved with sponsoring community events which in 2024 included a free public screening of The Paradise Paradox, a documentary movie that explores the mental health crisis affecting America’s mountain towns and the innovative solutions being developed in response.
Your program/organization is a Measure U grant recipient, can you tell us what you use that funding for in your program/organization?
MMSPAA was awarded a Measure U grant in 2024. Those funds are being used to expand and implement several existing and new programs. The MMSPAA ski tour program is being expanded for 2025. Funding is being used to purchase signage and promotional material for the ski tour program. Additionally, funds helped to provide uniforms for Alumni tour guides. The Measure U grant helped MMSPAA to implement a new program for Mammoth Lakes schools. The new program includes presentations on ski patrolling that promote safety and explore ski patrolling as a job opportunity and career path. School specific ski tours will be offered to students and teachers interested in learning more about ski patrolling.
Did the Measure U grant funding make it possible for you to offer programming that would not have been available otherwise?
Yes, the expanded educational ski tours for the public, and presentations and programs for Mammoth Lakes schools are a direct result of Measure U funding.
How did the Measure U grant funding help your program/organization to provide opportunities for locals to engage with arts/culture/mobility/recreation?
The school program has allowed for presentations to children in Mammoth Lakes schools to be exposed to the history of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the MMSP. Additionally, for teachers and students interested in exploring an on-mountain experience, the ski tours provide exposure to how the ski patrol helps provide a safer recreational experience at Mammoth Mountain. Both the school presentations and ski tours for the general public help to foster a better understanding of how to have a safe recreational skiing experience.
What is the next big thing happening with your organization/program?
There are several big things happening with the MMSPAA in 2025 that we are excited about. First and foremost is that the MMSPAA was the recipient of a generous donation specifically to fund a part-time administrative position. Up until this time we have operated completely through countless hours of volunteer time to oversee our fundraising efforts and programs that the MMSPAA provides. The administrative funding will help in continuing to keep up with the existing work and develop new programs consistent with our mission. One of these program expansions that we will be working on in 2025 is the Ski Patrol Archive program. From its beginning, the MMSPAA has collected a variety of ski patrol memorabilia, including stories, photos, signage, and other physical objects that are important to the history and culture of Mammoth Mountain and the ski patrol. We plan to expand this collection and more importantly, to create and curate a digital archive of the collection that is available to the public via the newly expanded MMSPAA website.
We will also be expanding our community events in 2025. In March we are sponsoring a Full Moon Ski Tour out of Sierra Meadows that will be a free event. Additional community events are in the planning for April so stay tuned to our social media for more details as we finalize planning.
Do you have any words of advice for other programs/organizations that might be looking at applying for Measure U funding?
Getting involved with MLR is a great way to create a good working partnership towards community-oriented projects. Organizations seeking Measure U funding should take advantage of the opportunity to engage with Mammoth Lakes Recreation staff, who offer valuable insights into crafting effective proposals. The transparent grant-making process, featuring public proposal reviews, equips nonprofits with a clearer understanding of expectations and enhances their chances of success.
About Mammoth Lakes Recreation
Formed in 2014, Mammoth Lakes Recreation’s mission is to deliver cutting edge sustainable recreation, mobility, and arts & culture opportunities and infrastructure for the benefit of the community and natural environment of Mammoth Lakes. For more information, go to www.mammothlakesrecreation.org.