A GROUP which wants to buy Shames Mountain Ski Corporation and run the facility as a non-profit community co-operative has begun to sell memberships.
My Mountain Co-op, a creation of The Friends of Shames, wants to raise $2 million by April 30, a sum considered sufficient to buy the mountain's operations from the ski corporation, a for-profit venture owned by local investors, and provide a nest egg for improvements.
The current owners of the ski operation have had the venture for sale for years, saying they have been putting their own money into keeping the runs open.
Although praised for its skiing experience, Shames Mountain has struggled to find enough skiers to cover its bills.
My Mountain Co-op's $299 individual and $599 corporate lifetime memberships give purchasers a vote in its affairs.
Friends of Shames has spent the last year and a half planning, applying for grants, and writing feasibility studies and business plans hoping to find a way to keep the mountain open.
Its latest feasibility study is finished but the group has so far not released it.
The official launch of My Mountain Co-op takes place at Shames Mountain at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. There will be a barbecue, presentations, question and answer session and a torch light run.