Ski 4 A Cure Set for Valentine’s Day
Ski 4 A Cure Set for Valentine’s Day
3rd annual event organized by Ski Club of Lockport invites all to enjoy a day on the slopes of HoliMont while raising funds for Roswell Park
Photos / Tom Doran, Event Organizer
Valentine's Day may be synonymous with romance, but its namesake, St. Valentine, was known for acts of kindness and selfless devotion. This year, the Ski Club of Lockport (SCOL) is channeling that same spirit of love and generosity into its third annual Ski 4 a Cure fundraiser, planned fittingly for February 14th at HoliMont Ski Resort. With every swish down the slopes, participants will be raising funds to support Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s greatest needs, proving that love isn’t just about candlelit dinners and roses - it’s also about making a difference in the lives of others.
The fundraiser takes place at HoliMont from 9:00am-4:30pm, with registration beginning at 8:30am. From now until January 31st, registration is $130 and increases to $135 from February 1st-14th (day-of registrations are welcome). Registration includes an all-day lift ticket, lunch catered by Dina’s at the Mont, and free demos by The City Garage. Participants won’t want to miss the 50/50 drawing, special raffles and basket raffles throughout the day. Roswell Park will be donating a signed Buffalo Sabres jersey, and Snowflake Ski Shop & 245 Board Co. of Lockport is planning to donate a skis setup with bindings. Additionally, HoliMont is donating a 10-pack of lift passes, said Tom Doran, SCOL member and Ski 4 A Cure Event Chairperson.
According to Doran, Ski 4 a Cure is supported by three main generous sponsors. New gold-level sponsors include Buffalo law firm Doran & Murphy, PLLC and National Grid. ERA Team VP Real Estate - Team Pritchard is sponsoring the most consistent timed race.
There’s plenty of fun planned for the slopes throughout the day. “We wanted it to be a really family-friendly event where it doesn’t matter what your abilities are with skiing,” explained Doran. “Even with the timed race, it’s two of your most consistent times, so it’s not who’s the fastest, just who’s the most consistent, so anyone can win that!” The most consistent timed race is scheduled for 11:00am and includes six categories based on age and gender.
Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, Ski 4 a Cure has something fun to do! Enjoy cross-country skiing or snowshoeing (limited amount of rental equipment will be available) or come to participate in the 50/50 drawing and raffles! “The Bombardier Ball Drop… anyone can do that!” added Doran. “It involves going up in the chairlift and dropping a tennis ball [in a trash can below].” Tennis balls for the ball drop will be available for $2 each or three for $5, with all proceeds supporting Roswell Park.
The picture scavenger hunt (list at registration table) is available from 9:30am-2:00pm. Once you find an item, take a selfie with it, and move on to the next! Once all items (or as many as possible) are found, photos can be verified at the registration table; win a grab-bag of prizes for most or all of the items, depending on the competition.
Ski 4 a Cure’s signature event is the cancer fighters and survivors parade, which is open to any cancer fighters, survivors, family, and friends. In the interest of increased accessibility, the parade will take place at Sunset at 2:00pm. Doran explained, “We’re going to have a HoliMont staff member lead us from the top of Exhibition, and then they’re going to bring us into the Sunset area, which is the easiest.” Participants can dress up or wear specific colors that represent different types of cancers; a prize will be awarded for the best parade look.
This year, Ski 4 a Cure is featuring long-time SCOL member Steve Korn, who is currently battling multiple cancers, and the sister of SCOL member Paula Bowers, Lara Flory, who passed away from breast cancer in December. Both Steve and Lara underwent treatment at Roswell Park, and SCOL is dedicated to supporting the incredible work happening there, both in terms of research and patient care. No donation is too small: For every dollar raised, Roswell can secure another $23 in research funding. Last year’s event raised $10,500 for Roswell Park, and SCOL is optimistic that this year’s event will match or even exceed that amount.
Donations to Roswell Park can be made online through Ski 4 a Cure’s event page at www.holimont.com/events/. For more information, visit www.skicluboflockport.com/ski-4-a-cure/, which includes a YouTube video by SCOL member Gary McBride that tells the story of last year’s event.