KETCHUM - Less than one month after its launch, a program offering an employee season ski pass for Bald Mountain Ski Area is halfway to its goal.

The program was created in cooperation with Sun Valley Resort to raise money for Minimum Revenue Guarantees on airline flights into Sun Valley from Denver. Stefany Mahoney, membership manager for the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau, said the chamber wants to have Denver flights in place for winter 2006-2007 and is negotiating with more than one airline.

The employee pass is available only to member businesses with at least one employee. Businesses pay $2,500 for a pass that allows one employee to ski each day throughout the season. There are no blackout days and the pass can be used the next day by another employee. Instead of a photograph of an individual, the new employee passes have the name of the purchasing business.

Passes are on sale now, and were donated to the chamber by Wally Huffman, general manager of the Sun Valley Resort.

"It's awesome of Wally," Mahoney said. "It's really a great thing for Sun Valley to do."

The money adds to a coffer to guarantee the Denver airline provider won't lose money flying to Sun Valley. The SVKCVB also sells $10 raffle tickets to win a chance at one of 10 packages of 25 ski lift tickets. Packages of 25 day passes are good any day of the year. Last year, the SVKCVB sold 1,350 raffle tickets. Mahoney said she hopes to double the amount this year.

Raffle tickets sell through SVKCVB ambassadors, members, and at Business After Hours.

Mahoney said the SVKCVB has 585 members in the Wood River Valley.

Susan Bailey writes for the Wood River Journal.