Sales promotion supports Glacier Park trail maintenance

Whitefish auto dealer Don Kaltschmidt has spent many summer afternoons trekking the high peaks and ridges of Glacier National Park.

While Kaltschmidt prefers to venture away from the masses at Logan Pass or Avalanche Lake, he recognizes that it’s often the Park’s most popular trails that provide many visitors with their first taste of a wild alpine setting. Trails to the Hidden Lake Overlook or Swiftcurrent Lake bring the crowds, and with it, wear and tear.

It’s one reason why Don K Subaru has chosen Glacier National Park Conservancy as it’s fundraising partner for the annual Subaru “Share the Love” program.

Through Jan. 3, for every new Subaru leased or sold, Subaru will donate $250 to the buyer’s choice of charity. The Don K Subaru dealership will donate an additional $50 to the Conservancy.

If an average number of Subarus are sold over the next month, that could add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

“It should end up to be a pretty good chunk of change,” Kaltschmidt said.

Conservancy chief executive Mark Preiss said the Share the Love donations are earmarked for the trail maintenance fund. Projects on the horizon include maintenance and rehabilitation along the Hidden Lake Overlook trail, Appistoki Falls trail and Swiftcurrent Lake trail.

“The Park has a 700-mile trail network and these are some of the top-use trails,” Preiss said. “Record visitation to the Park is great, but it has an impact, as well.”

He said the projects will make the trails more accessible and safer for visitors.

“For Don to reach out like this at the local level is important,” Preiss said. “Fundraising is essential to what we do. These projects won’t happen without these partnerships in the community.”

Kaltschmidt says preserving Glacier’s trail network is a worthy effort and one that his customers can get behind.

“Our customers do buy into it,” he said.

“You might see a few Subarus in Glacier, too,” he joked about the car brand that’s popular among outdoor enthusiasts. “It’s very apropos to choose this charity.”