Remembering Bob McCarthy, through Irish Christmas
Remembering Bob McCarthy, through Irish Christmas
Winter is officially here and with it Ellicottville transforms its Hallmark village into a winter wonderland. There are events near weekly to usher in the beginning of the season, and Irish Christmas, set for Friday, Dec. 17th, is one you don’t want to miss! (Publisher’s note: Irish Christmas needs no introduction, however, if you are new to the event, you can read up on all the event details in our previous issue.)
As someone who isn’t a “generational resident” of Ellicottville, the foundation of people who keep Irish Christmas running is made up of some of the best people I have ever met … maybe that is why I got “stuck” here post-university. They continue to teach me how to be a better person and more active part of the community. One of our patron saints, if you will, was the late Bob McCarthy …
“He had a pulse on what the less fortunate needed and knew how to get the fortunate to step up,” Bob Illig, long-time friend of McCarthy, told me earlier this week over a cup of coffee at Katy’s Cafe. “I remember the first Irish Christmas at the old Gin Mill; McCarthy parked a tractor trailer outside the bar for people to fill up [with gifts]. It was quite a sight.”
So what is Irish Christmas?
“McCarthy came up with the idea 16 years ago when the Rotary Club of Ellicottville’s Family Support (an affiliate of Rotary’s Foundation for Youth) was taking over ’Santa’s Workshop’,” explained Greg Cappelli, Rotary member and friend of McCarthy. “The family who had been supporting Santa’s Workshop had to pass it on.”
Cappelli admits that he thought Irish Christmas was a crazy idea … auctioning off a handmade pie box with a homemade pie … “but then the night came and one of the pies and pie boxes sold for $900!”
Needles to say, a tradition was born. Cappelli echoed Illig’s sentiments, “Bob had insight to people’s generosity, as he was the most generous person I knew.”
The pie auction is the basis of the Irish Christmas event. A pie or cake or specialty dessert is paired with a pie box or birdhouse or other locally handcrafted treasure. Supporters bid on these items - and they are generous! - knowing that the proceeds will help families have a happier holiday season.
Irish Christmas is powered by the Rotary Club of Ellicottville, which does SO much for this community - from sponsoring thousands of dollars in scholarships, to purchasing new iPads for the school, and much more. I caught up with Greg Cappelli earlier this week to talk about this year’s Irish Christmas event versus last year, to talk about what attendees can expect, and of course, to talk about Bob.
CROFT: How did doing a virtual auction in 2020 affect things?
CAPPELLI: The virtual auction was what our generous supporters saw as a replacement for the live event in the face of Covid. They surpassed all expectations and it turned out to be the most successful Irish Christmas ever!
CROFT: What precautions are being taken this year to host a safe in-person event?
CAPPELLI: We hope to have the live event this year, but we do not want to put anyone in a potentially dangerous environment, so at EBC’s suggestion, we will hold it in their outdoor garden. We plan to check temperatures of attendees. With the Covid infection rate increasing, there is a chance that we will move to a Virtual Only event like last year. We will make that decision and announce closer to the December 17th event date.
CROFT: The Rotary contributes to an endless list of community programs in Ellicottville; what is one of your favorite projects the Irish Christmas has helped fund?
CAPPELLI: Irish Christmas’ main focus is to support Rotary’s Family Support which funds Santa’s Workshop and the Santa Sheriff programs. Both programs provide gifts for less fortunate families in the community. Family Support also helps families financially when a need arises, be it a house fire or illness or unexpected hardship out of their control. These assistance programs happen quietly year round.
CROFT: What types of items can someone expect to be auctioned off during this year’s Irish Christmas?
CAPPELLI: An event favorite is the Irish Whiskey basket donated by Cynthia Gibbons and Mike Kay. This is not part of the online auction but is on display at E-Ville Spirits & Wines, where you can bid on it in-person. One of McCarthy’s original pie boxes from 10 years ago and a birdhouse from Edna Northrup’s collection (Bob made her a birdhouse for her birthday every year) will also be a part of this year’s auction. Ed Fredrickson made a fabulous Bow Pie Box and this year he promised us a new hope chest.
CROFT: Wow! The list of items just gave me goosebumps! What is one of your favorite past auction items?
CAPPELLI: I have too many favorite Bob items over the years, but my new favorite auction item is always the elaborate birdhouses made by Ed Fred.
CROFT: What is the most popular flavor of pie? And which one is your favorite?
CAPPELLI: I have to say Keg’s Nanaimo bars are the best; I would be very foolish to pick some other. (chuckles) Tom Kneeland always does a Chocolate Mousse cake and a Tiramisu which are fabulous, too.
CROFT: Anything new for 2021?
CAPPELLI: There is always something new, but it is too early to announce. I can tell you we have an amazing Bob original Pine Cabinet that he had made for E-Ville Spirits & Wine. This great piece was donated by owner Shannon Carscallen. This piece is one of a kind!
BOB McCARTHY-ISMS
I polled a few people who were close to Bob to come up with a list of “McCarthy-isms” or what they thought Bob would say about the event if he was still with us. (I will try not to cry as I type these next sentences.)
Anne Northrup: “Irish Christmas was born from an idea of Bob’s to raise a little money to help the local families in our community have a better Christmas. What started out with a small gathering at a local bar of friends in the community selling home baked pies at outrageous prices. Bob would also auction off one of his guided trips to Ireland. (Writer’s note: How I wish I could have gone on one of these.) “The combination of just those two things and he had a fundraiser!”
“It is a time to come together as one in the spirit of Christmas,” Anne continued. “The spirit of giving and a remembrance of the good that Bob did for so many all year long … Bob felt this event was ‘magical’ from its humble beginnings and it continues to be today, all of these years later because of the community that Bob inspired to carry it on.”
Rotary President Doug Anderson: “To me, Irish Christmas means community. Many of the same faces and also new community members come out to support Bob McCarthy’s spirit - the spirit of giving and supporting the Ellicottville community through the Rotary Club of Ellicottville.” (Anderson cannot wait for the pies.) “The best local pie bakers turn out spectacular pies and cakes!”
Greg Cappelli: “Bob had a very interesting look on life. McCarthy was a special education teacher and spent so much of his time helping others with their challenges in life. To quote a McCarthyism would not do him justice. When he passed, Anne Northrup created a bracelet with ‘WWBD *What would Bob do’ on it. She created a way for all of us to remember to lead with our heart.”
Bob said once, “I love doing Irish Christmas, which is a night of Irish magic. I don’t know how the magic gets there, but it just does. That’s the beauty of it.”
Ed Fredrickson: “Bob was one of the first people I met at Holiday Valley when I started working there in 1986. We quickly became friends. He was a great friend and loved Ellicottville so much.”
Katy Arena of Katy’s Cafe: “He built all of the handcrafted tables in the old cafe where the Tee Bar now resides. Bob would say, ‘You just gotta believe.’ He said it on different occasions but also about Irish Christmas … I always carry that with me. The quote has so many different meanings to me, but I think mostly it reminds me to remember that there is goodness in people and a little bit of ‘Irish Magic’ still exists.”
Arena continued, “Irish Christmas is special; it’s obviously changed over the years and it will never be the same without Bob. I can still hear the excitement in his voice when even talking about the event each year. Irish Christmas will always have a little bit of magic. I mean, how can it not when at the end of it all, Family Support helps bring Christmas to children in need. So please, if you are interested in making a pie for auction or want to donate to help make a little Irish magic happen, please reach out to me.”
“Last year’s event was the most financially successful as most of our donors knew with Covid that the need was most acute,” Cappelli told me. “Even if you cannot attend, there are Irish Christmas donation boxes set up in many of the local stores and restaurants and you can pick up a ‘Bob in Top Hat’ lapel pin as a thank you for your donation."
Looking back on my most profound Bob moment, it was a few days before his sudden passing. He told me to always keep trying, and that if I kept trying every day things would work out like it should. If only I knew how right he was in that moment. Bob had a way of seeing past the exteriors that people show to the world. He knew how to get to the heart of things, and this is why his legacy is filled with love, community and kindness. So let’s celebrate Bob and the causes he believed in. See you at Irish Christmas, Dec. 17th.