Jackson, Wyoming – March 23rd, 2007 – Organizers of the Alpinist Film Festival and 1% for the Tetons are pleased to announce that over six thousand dollars were raised during the 2007 Alpinist Film Festival. The amount, which is the second largest ever for the Alpinist Film Festival, will help benefit the Tetons and Jackson’s surrounding valley.
“The 2007 Alpinist Film Festival was an extraordinary event, and 1% for the Tetons is proud and honored to be a part of it,” said Jonathan Schechter, co-founder of 1% for the Tetons. “The Alpinist Film Festival and 1% for the Tetons are wonderful complements to each other, each dedicated to honoring the legacy of Jackson Hole and sustaining it for future generations.”
“This is the first time we’ve worked with a charity that will directly benefit our surrounding area, the place that we all call home,” said Alpinist Film Festival Founder and Alpinist Editor Christian Beckwith. “Our children will reap the benefits of this year’s Festival, and will continue to do so by the generous donors of 1% for the Tetons.”
Money raised for 1% was done through silent auctions held throughout the three nights of the Festival, in addition to liquor sales from New Belgium beer and a considerable donation from the Alpinist Film Festival. In addition to the money raised, 1% also saw an increase in its membership, making Jackson Hole home to roughly 10% of all members of 1% for the Planet.
“The 2007 Alpinist Film Festival provided 1% for the Tetons with a wonderful showcase,” Schechter continued. “It allowed us to increase our membership by 10%, giving us over 50 members in just our first 9 months, a goal we thought would take two years to reach. In fact, even though the festival is over, the phone keeps ringing with people who learned about us over the weekend and now want to join 1%.”
The 2007 Alpinist Film Festival, held from March 15 – 17th at Jackson Hole’s new Center for the Arts, is widely considered to be the best Festival yet. All three nights of the Festival sold out days in advance, a feat nearly unheard of for the town of Jackson and one that the Festival had yet to accomplish, having only sold out the day of. In addition, the Festival’s lineup and the quality of its production is touted to have a reached a new level of professionalism.
“This year was a resounding success,” said Beckwith. “Not only have we raised awareness and a considerable amount of money for Jackson’s 1% for the Tetons, but we also executed the best Festival yet. We’ve begun our maturity as a Festival, and this year was only a taste of what more is to come. As we continue to grow the Festival’s lineup and production will continue to become more impressive, and the philanthropic money raised for future charities will be only larger and more sizeable.”