In times like these, we're especially thankful for the people who give heart to the places we call home. Many of the members of the Pursuit team live in iconic places and in small and close-knit communities. Every place has a need. Even in our most remote locations, health authorities have been reaching out to local businesses like ours to ask for surplus personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. As active members of the community in places like Jasper, Alberta and Whitefish, Montana, we're keen to step up with support whenever we can.
The mountain town of Jasper is tucked away in the northern Canadian Rockies, a few hours’ drive from the nearest large city. When the local Cottage Medical Clinic reached out to say they were looking for cleaning supplies, our team jumped to it.
“They called and said they were wondering if we had any supplies to spare,” says Erin Reade, Marketing & Brand Experience Manager for Pursuit in Jasper. “The team and I had a quick brainstorm and we were able to come up with just what they needed.”
Along with several other local businesses, our Food & Beverage team in Jasper gathered the spare supplies and dropped them safely outside the clinic. The cleaning fairy delivery included nitrile gloves, soap, bleach and hand sanitizer. "The staff were so thankful, every little bit helps!” says Erin. "We're all looking for ways to support the community and especially the frontline healthcare workers right now."
In Montana’s picturesque Flathead Valley, local health authorities were also looking ahead to make sure their medical professionals had all the protective equipment they might need. They put out a call for surplus PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) with a big goal of gathering 10,000 sets of sterile gloves.
“The regional health authority works hard every day to keep our community healthy, and they deserve our support now more than ever,” says Melissa Baker, Director of Guest Experience for Pursuit Glacier Park team. Melissa and her team went through supply stocks at our hotel properties in Whitefish and West Glacier Village and gathered together all the gloves they could possibly spare. In the end, they delivered 90 percent of the glove donations that were requested.
“We came close to conquering their goal of 10,000 gloves with our donation alone,” says Melissa. “So we figured, why stop there?” Our team in Glacier Park also had a stock of N95 masks that we have kept on hand and were able to donate, as well as additional cleaning supplies, disinfectant solution and paper products.
“Being able to give back to the community in this small way is pretty important to us,” says Melissa. “Regardless of what is going on in the world around us, we’ll always come out better by supporting each other.”
From Whitefish all the way north up the Rockies to Jasper, community spirit is shining strong!
