These are tough economic times for everyone, and the Utah Avalanche Center is no exception. Even in good years the center runs on a lean budget. With significant cuts to the State of Utah and Salt Lake County budgets, we expect 2009 to be an extremely thin year for the center. (But hopefully not the snow!)

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, helps the center survive rough financial years and ensure nonstop delivery of the best avalanche safety and education tools you can find. But we can't do it without your support. If you use Utah Avalanche Center services, we need you now more than ever.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center.

The center's forecasters are always seeking better ways to keep people safe in the mountains at the lowest possible cost. One of the best ways is to offer rich resources on the center's Web site (http://utahavalanchecenter.org/), which is available to you 24/7 – for free. The Web site is in the home stretch of an upgrade, and some of its most exciting features have yet to be added. These include an improved image gallery and interactive tools that let site users contribute information and analysis.

With your help, the forecasters can get these tools up and running more quickly.

Thank you for your support of the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center.

Sincerely,

Paul Diegel
President, Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center