|
Al
Risch |
Brad
Ray |
FOUNDING FATHER’S STORY
Over a
cup of coffee in the USFS headquarters building at Hermit Lake, Al
and Brad were discussing government cutbacks and its effect on the
Tuckerman Ravine program.
Brad
mentioned Friends groups started up in other parts of the country
and wonder whether we could find someone in the Mount Washington
Valley to start a local group. The mission would be to provide
private sector funding and raise an awareness of the struggle to
keep the program going.
A
committee was formed to explore the possibility. Don Muse, Brad Ray,
Bruce Jackson of the USFS and Al Risch agreed to serve. Bruce
Jackson took on the task of gathering information on other Friends
groups. After study, the committee decided that the best model was
Friends of Arcadia, run by former AMC'er, Kent Olsen.
After a
meeting with Kent and the Arcadia Park supervisor it was decided to
emulate their success in the formulation of Friends of Tuckerman
Ravine and the rest is history.
Al Risch
accepted the task of promoting the idea in the Mount Washington
Valley and developed the
Charter Lifetime Membership
appeal.
