"Intentionally Affordable" Michigan Ski Area Hopes To Raise $100,000

One of Traverse City, Michigan’s ski hills, Mt. Holiday, is asking for help as it pushes to raise $100,000 by late August in an effort to keep offering affordable skiing.

As a nonprofit, Mt. Holiday said it’s “intentionally affordable” and “exists to make memories, build confidence, and keep the outdoors within reach for every family.” That means keeping prices low alongside offering discounted youth programs and scholarships.

But, Mt. Holiday added, the costs of everything from snowmaking to lift maintenance continue to rise each year. 

Unpredictable winters have also put pressure on Mt. Holiday. During the 2023-24 season, it only stayed open for eight days, struggling alongside other Midwest ski areas. A local news outlet, The Ticker, reported that the tough season prompted Mt. Holiday to take out a low-interest disaster relief loan from the Small Business Administration for $480,000.

Mt. Holiday managed to bounce back thanks to community investment, though. The ski area unveiled lighting and snowmaking improvements and, last winter, opened earlier than ever before on December 20. More than 700 local families bought season passes. 

“Every improvement made over the past year happened because people believed Mt. Holiday was worth investing in,” the ski area’s message reads. “Together, we transformed one of our most difficult seasons into one of our strongest.”

“Now, it continued, “we’re asking our community to help us keep that momentum going.”

Mt. Holiday hopes to hit the $100,000 mark by August 23, 2026, “to help bridge the gap between what it truly costs to provide affordable, year-round outdoor recreation and what we charge to keep those experiences accessible.” 

Alongside one-off donations, Mt. Holiday offers monthly donation tiers with a range of perks, from discounted lift tickets to family season pass packs.

Formed in 1949, Mt. Holiday is small, spanning 45 skiable acres and just a few lifts. In 1985, the Brosch family bought the ski area, adding lifts and a tube run. When Warren, the husband, died, his wife, Sue, put Mt. Holiday up for sale, according to a history tab on the ski area’s website.

In response, a volunteer group formed Mt. Holiday Inc. and set about raising $1.5 million to buy the ski area, spruce it up, and open it to the public. 

To learn more about Mt. Holiday’s fundraising efforts, click here.

Related: Meet Lizzy Schofield, Arapahoe Basin’s First-Ever Female Ski Patrol Director