Maine Adaptive Co-Directors Lizz Peacock and Amy Bannon were distraught
learning of the flooding that impacted the organization’s Sundance facility during the recent
flooding at Sunday River Ski Resort in Maine. The entire mountain resort sustained
considerable damage, including the road and entrance to the Maine Adaptive facility. Initially,
Lizz and Amy could not assess the damage, as road access was impassable due to flood damage
to the roads, however reports and photos from those on scene confirmed that while the
building was intact, a culvert at the entrance to the parking lot was washed away, making
access to the facility impassable.
While Sunday River generously provides the Maine Adaptive building and parking through a
cost-free lease agreement, as the long-term residents of the lot and building, Maine Adaptive
covers the maintenance and repair of the Sundance facility, parking, and driveway. “This is a
small price to pay in comparison to the generosity of our founding resort,” explained Amy
Bannon. The Maine Adaptive team was quick to contact their insurance carrier to learn about
coverage for the damage, but the organization unfortunately learned quickly that culverts,
bridges, and roads were not covered.
The Maine Adaptive Team knew that offers of support and help from the community and their
followers were abundant. The marketing team launched a quick micro-campaign to raise
$20,000; the amount estimated by contractors to replace the culvert and fix the road entrance.
Desperation turned to delight for Maine Adaptive supporters as donations to the culvert
campaign came pouring in. Within an hour, the $20,000 goal was met! Small donations of $10
and $20 were made, but the campaign goal was met within minutes when one anonymous
donor generously offered the full $20,000 donation to complete the campaign. Most, if not all
of the donations came from the community of Maine Adaptive volunteers, students and their
families. In all, 43 kind donors made the difference, allowing Maine Adaptive to start its winter
on-snow program shortly after the beginning of the year.
“This has been a rollercoaster event. So many challenges, and then the community support
from both Sunday River and Maine Adaptive members has been so uplifting,” said Lizz Peacock,
Maine Adaptive’s Managing Director of Operations. “When we couldn’t get to the resort due to
flooding, we had people who were up in the area check on things for us, and then once we
knew the status post-storm, the offers of help, coordination from Sunday River as they worked
through the many challenges they were faced with, and the amazing response to the fundraiser
just shows how tight this community is. I am amazed at how quickly Sunday River is managing
this event and look forward to when we can all return to winter operations,” she finished.
Amy Bannon, Maine Adaptive Managing Director of Advancement echoed Lizz’s thoughts,
adding, “The timing of this flood could not have come at a more pressing time for our staff,
volunteers, and students who have been busy training and preparing for the adaptive winter
program season at Sunday River. The speedy support of our community speaks volumes to the
care, passion, and love for the mission of Maine Adaptive. It is enough to leave you speechless.
Thanks to those 43 donors and our mountain partner, Sunday River, we are well-positioned to
open our doors to our students after the New Year.”