The Friends of Lost Valley hope to raise at least $50,000 to keep a single chairlift running at the beloved community resort this winter. To contribute, see www.crowdrise.com/savelostvalley.

Lost Valley Ski & Banquet is in peril. After years of operating in the red and facing the decline of its equipment and infrastructure, the resort lacks funds to open for business this winter, and without help will cease operations.

Faced with the loss of a beloved community resource that has served Lewiston-Auburn since 1961, a group of concerned local stakeholders have banded together to find solutions to keep the resort alive. Calling themselves the “Friends of Lost Valley,” the group acknowledges the short- and long-term challenges facing the resort.

“We know there are problems,” says group member Karen Bolduc. “But while we chug away at finding more long-term solutions to get Lost Valley on a sustainable trajectory, in the short term the resort needs cash now just to stay open. That’s why we’ve organized this Crowdrise campaign – to rally immediate community support.”

The Friends of Lost Valley Crowdrise campaign seeks to meet two fundraising benchmarks: $50,000 to allow the resort to partially open, getting the much-loved colored chairlift operating for the 2014-15 season, and $100,000 to allow for a full opening, with both the colored and silver chairlifts operating. To learn more about the campaign or to make a donation, see the Friends of Lost Valley Facebook page or visit their Crowdrise page directly at www.crowdrise.com/savelostvalley.