Big SNOW Sends Up Empty Ski Lift Honoring Coronavirus Victims

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — When American Dream halted operations in the early days of the coronavirus, there was no telling the impact it would have on the area.

Between then and the reopening of Big SNOW on Tuesday, over 14,000 New Jersey residents died, and many more tested positive for the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, before excitable snowboarders and skiers made their first runs down the indoor slopes, Big SNOW sent up an empty chair lift in honor of those who've died in the pandemic.

"In honor of those we lost and those who lost them," read a banner displayed by employees.

It was a harrowing reminder of what the pandemic brought to the state, country and world.

After that honorary display, however, things began to return to normalcy, albeit with expanded health and safety protocols. After all, the coronavirus pandemic isn't over.

"As an indoor recreational facility, Big SNOW will be implementing several updated safety measures to allow its guests to responsibly enjoy the snow and gear up for endless indoor winter again," the company said in a statement last week.

Employees, the company said, "experienced extensive health and safety training," and will undergo daily health screenings and temperature checks.

Face-to-face interaction has been limited thanks to mandatory online ticket purchasing and contactless scanning for arrival and entry in and out of the "snow dome."

"Skiing and snowboarding are great naturally socially distant recreation activities, and we are all very excited to be able to open Big SNOW for our guests again," said Hugh Reynolds, vice president of marketing and sales at SNOW Operating, the New Jersey company who operates Big SNOW.

"Our team has been working very hard these past few months to reinvent what the Big SNOW experience will look like in today's COVID world. I'm confident that our guests will see and feel the results of that work when they visit us, and we're looking forward to sharing the experience with them."

For more on the new health and safety protocols at Big SNOW, click here: Big SNOW Implements Big Changes For Reopening Amid Coronavirus

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