$7,100 – Teton Valley Foundation
The Community Foundation of Teton Valley was honored to award this $7,100 grant to the Teton Valley Foundation for the purchase of a new fencing trailer. The Community Foundation strongly supports a new fencing trailer to safely move portable fencing for Music on Main and additional nonprofit events.
Since 2005, Teton Valley Foundation has served a wide sector of the community by providing skating and hockey programs for kids and adults of all ages, first by flooding to create a rudimentary outdoor “rink”, then at the Kotler Ice Arena each winter. During the summer months, visitors and locals by the hundreds flock to Victor City Park for Music on Main, Teton Valley Foundation’s free all-ages-welcome eight-week concert series. Its programs and music series have grown exponentially each year—this past year saw a 20% increase in weekly users at Kotler Ice Arena and Music on Main continues to attract more and more attendance each year.
Behind the scenes at both Kotler Arena and Music on Main, there are dozens of intricate pieces that must fall into place to ensure the success of Teton Valley Foundation’s programs. One important piece of this puzzle is the portable fencing that borders the perimeter of the park and the trailer that allows the movement and storage of one hundred pieces that weigh more than one and a half tons. This fencing is a permit requirement of both the City and County and serves as a key safety component by directing patrons to the front entrance each week. The trailer is a key piece to successfully making Teton Valley Foundation programming happen. Without a working trailer to haul this amount of weight, Teton Valley Foundation cannot safely move this equipment to cordon off spectators from snow slide areas at the Kotler Arena or control crowds at Music on Main. The organization’s existing trailer was purchased used in 2015. Shortly thereafter, one of the axles broke and was welded back together and reinforced. Two seasons later, the hitch was bent and the jack on the tongue broke. Teton Valley Foundation has managed to jury rig the trailer to make it work for several years to save on expenses. But after several years limping by, the need for a new or new/used trailer is now urgent and immediate. The need for a functioning trailer is not limited to its own use. Teton Valley Foundation prides itself on collaborating with other Teton Valley nonprofits, as well as its partnering businesses, to support their events and in turn their contributions to the community. For safety reasons, Teton Valley Foundation is no longer willing to loan its trailer and fencing due to the trailer’s disrepair.
This grant will allow the Teton Valley Foundation to purchase a new/used fencing trailer, by which Teton Valley Foundation can ensure a smooth-running concert series, abide by our permitting requirements, and ultimately increase Teton Valley Foundation’s ability to work together to support other organizations through loaning its fencing trailer and fencing.
The Community Foundation commends the important work of the Teton Valley Foundation and supports the purchase of a new (or used) trailer. The safe transport of its fencing on a reliable fencing trailer is an integral part of fulfilling Teton Valley Foundation’s mission while also giving it the ability to help others fulfill theirs.
