Once fully completed, GANC will include:

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• Nordic-dedicated SNOWMAKING for early- and late-season skiing right here in Duluth!!

• New 5 km cross-country ski trail developed by one of the country’s best Nordic trail designers, including 3.3 km of trail with snowmaking

• Connector trail linking the new trail to the 22 km of existing trail at the top of Spirit Mountain, which then also connects to the Magney Snively trail system

• ‘Dark sky’ LED trail lighting for early morning and evening skiing

• Full-service chalet (Grand Avenue Chalet, pictured above) at the trailhead, and venue for hosting events & races

• Expert grooming for high-quality ski conditions every day

• Welcoming atmosphere for new skiers, and a safe place to help young skiers learn and grow

• A boost for winter tourism in Duluth

• PHASE I of the GANC project was completed by December 2018/January 2019, with 2.5 km of new GANC trail including 1.5 km of snowmaking!

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Costs and Fundraising

The City has committed a large portion of the funding for Grand Avenue Nordic Center – $1 million in “half-and-half Tourism Tax” dollars – and on August 9, 2016, the City unanimously approved the environmental assessment, giving this project a green light from an .

 

DXC was tasked with an initial commitment of raising $500k toward the project, and we reached this goal in February 2018!!  Grand Avenue PHASE I trail construction was completed by December 2018, and skiing there this past winter was incredible.  DXC has now raised an additional $150k as of March 2019!

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The City of Duluth is currently applying for Legacy funding, and if this is secured, ALL PHASES of Grand Avenue Nordic (all trails, all snowmaking, and all lighting) could be built by December 2020 if DXC can raise a final $215k by June 2020!!  This represents a final push to complete all fundraising to finish all phases of building by 2020.

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Now it is up to the Duluth ski community to raise these remaining funds to make Grand Avenue Nordic Center a reality.  We have already had an incredible outpouring of donations, with hundreds of generous contributors from the ski community and corporate partners getting us within reach of our goal!  But we need your help in order to finish the trail!

 

Please contribute today!  Click HERE.

 

The Duluth Cross Country Ski Club is a non-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS under Section 501(c) (3).  DXC’s Tax ID/EIN is 1005182820.

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GANC Updates!

• Loll Designs donates $20,000 to the Grand Avenue Nordic Center in March 2016, as the first Legacy Sponsor of GANC!!

• Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) related to the Grand Avenue Nordic Center at Spirit Mountain was approved unanimously by the Duluth City Planning Commission on 8/9/2016

• DXC Board members have been participating in monthly strategic meetings with the City of Duluth over the summer and fall 2016, and winter 2017, to coordinate multiple aspects of the development of GANC

• DXC has teamed with Sally Rauschenfels to produce Capital Campaign promotional materials in support of GANC, including a letter summarizing the campaign, and a brochure providing an overview of GANC

• Limited edition DXC winter hat by Swix is being sold through the DXC website here, or at local ski shops Ski Hut or Continental, with 80% of the proceeds going toward GANC

• Ski Hut announces deal: for every Swix clothing item purchased at Ski Hut, 10% of proceeds will go toward GANC

• Continental announces deal: for every pair of Rossignol X-ium skis purchased at Continental Ski & Bike through 12/15/2016, 10% of proceeds will go toward GANC

• Nationally prominent Nordic trail designer John Morton visited Duluth again in mid-October 2016 to continue refinements to the proposed GANC trail, with a specific update from this trip available here, including photos

• DXC Capital Campaign kickoff party to support GANC on Thursday 10/27/2016 at the Grand Avenue Chalet featuring food and live music from The Boomchucks, promoted by DXC Board members on Fox 21 News

• Give to the Max Day 2016 (11/17/2016) was a success!  Over $10,000 in individual donor contributions were made!

• Salomon donates $10,000 to GANC

• Lakewalk Surgery Center donates $10,000 to GANC

• Korkki Nordic donates $2,500 to GANC

• Beerski, LLC donates $2,500 to GANC

• Press conference on 12/21/2016 at the Grand Avenue Chalet highlights the growing contributions from multiple local businesses and organizations towards GANC; see TV coverage on Fox 21 and WDIO

• Sonja Baertsch donates $25,000 to GANC!

• The Koski sisters (Sherri, Stephanie, and Stacey), originally of Proctor and Duluth, donate $10,000 to GANC in honor of their late mother, Sharla Ann Koski!  Read more about their story.

• Banff Mountain Film Festival has a record attendance on 1/7 and 1/8/2017, with hugely successful bike and ski raffles; proceeds go to GANC!

• St. Luke's Hospital and Essentia Health each donate $5,000 to GANC

• David & Judith Arvold donate an additional $10,000 to GANC in 2017

• DXC's 2nd Annual Snow Ball is a great success, raising over $36,000 towards GANC!!

• The College of St. Scholastica donates $20,000 to GANC!

• Wes Neustel, age 97 and founder of the Ski Hut in 1955, donates $10,000 to GANC to help create a 'new boom' for Nordic skiing in the Northland

• Snow Ball 2018 puts us over our goal of $500,000 raised, reaching DXC's initial commitment to GANC!!

• On 5/14/2018, the Duluth City Council votes in favor of proceeding with phase I trail construction at Grand Avenue Nordic!

• GANC trailwork by Stack Brothers begins late summer 2018, including 2.5 km of new Nordic ski trail with 1.5 km of snowmaking as part of phase I!

• Official GANC Trail Groundbreaking Ceremony 10/2/2018, including partners DXC, City of Duluth/Mayor Emily Larson, and Spirit Mountain leadership!

• Fischer Skis announces that GANC will be the first recipient of its inaugural Fischer Grants program to help expand access to skiing!!

• U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist JESSIE DIGGINS visits Duluth and Grand Avenue Nordic Center on 11/4/2018 at the invitation of DXC, for 2 incredible events that day, and $150,000 is raised toward GANC in a single day!

• DECEMBER 11, 2018:  Grand Avenue Nordic Center opens for skiing!  Scores of skiers ski on the first section of trail with manmade snow, including the huge stadium and initial loop!

• JANUARY 2019:  Grand Avenue Nordic Center hosts its first high school race, with nearly 400 racers!  Full 2.5 km loop is completed, with outstanding skiing.

• Capital Campaign update: $865K Raised as of March 2020! Only $35K Left to Raise to COMPLETE ALL PHASES of GANC! (if Legacy funds awarded)