Penguin Paddle
Penguin Paddle
Fundraiser for the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program returns to in-person format
Get your garbage bag and get ready: the Penguin Paddle is returning for a full day of in-person fun to Yodeler hill at Holiday Valley on Saturday, February 26th! Maureen Sigeti, chairperson for the Penguin Paddle, is thrilled to chair this exciting fundraiser for the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, which helps people of all abilities learn to ski.
In 1987, Bill Lounsbury, a ski patroller at Holiday Valley, lost his leg to cancer, but continued to ski using hand-held skis, inspiring all who knew him. When he passed away, many donations were made in his honor, and the money was used to start the LASP, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and chapter of Disabled Sports USA. The program’s mission is to “deEMPHASIZE the disABILITY” and serves individuals between the ages of 5 and 75 of all physical and mental abilities, ranging from paralysis, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis to autism, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and spina bifida, as well as veterans. The program consists of volunteer instructors who work with students in affordable, private lessons at Holiday Valley.
The annual Penguin Paddle is the program’s biggest fundraiser each year and involves participants purchasing a garbage bag and wearing it as they stomach-slide down the lower part of Yodeler slope. The annual event also includes a much-anticipated silent auction, raffle and food tent. “It’s this annual fundraiser that makes the LASP possible,” said Sigeti. “We buy all of our own equipment, award scholarships and pay for instructors’ training opportunities through this event. This entire program wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Ellicottville community and Holiday Valley!”
LASP Director Bill Bredenberg is now in his fourth year of leading the program and is looking forward to another successful Penguin Paddle. “We’re so grateful to Holiday Valley for their support, not only of this fundraiser, but the entire program,” he said. “From donating prizes for the Paddle to providing a beautiful place for this program, we could not do this without their support.”
Sigeti knows first-hand what a life-changing experience the LASP is for both the students and the volunteers. She first became acquainted with adaptive ski programs through her mother, who is a volunteer with an adaptive ski program in the Syracuse area. “My mom put me in touch with Mary Ellen Racich, who was the director of the LASP for about 20 years,” Sigeti explained. “I’ve always been involved with volunteering through the Special Olympics (mom was a coach for that!), and I fell in love with the work that the Lounsbury program was doing.”
For Sigeti, as well as other volunteers, the program is rewarding and fun! In her words, “You can really bring what you love to your volunteer work. This is a great example of it: people who love to ski helping other people learn. It’s a wonderful program!”
For the past six years, Sigeti and her husband have been volunteering with the Penguin Paddle, and she is excited to chair this year’s event. Despite the pandemic, last year’s Penguin Paddle still took place but through a virtual format in which participants did a belly slide wherever they happened to be and participated in the raffle and silent auction online. Speaking of last year, Sigeti said, “It was very, very successful, but it’s just nothing compared to an in-person event with a DJ, the penguin slide, and the energy!”
She is pleased to share that this year, “We are going to be running, to an extent, as usual. We’ll have the food tent set up, penguin slide races, raffle, and silent auction, and scavenger hunt for the kids, all per Holiday Valley and CDC guidelines. We’ll be operating as they require, but we are going to be able to be back at our usual events with some possible adjustments, just to keep everyone safe.”
Last year’s virtual event provided new, more convenient opportunities for participation, some of which will be implemented this year! Those who win the silent auction will be able to pay for their items online at www.lounsburyadaptive.org instead of in-person at the Penguin Paddle. Raffle tickets and penguin slider race tickets can be purchased online in advance, too. “New this year, we are offering the ability to pre-purchase your lunch tickets online,” Sigeti added.
These convenient online options mean more time on Yodeler come the 26th, and it’s going to be a fun, busy day! Registration is open from 10:00am-1:00pm and the lunch tent will open at 11:00am until sold out. The silent auction in the tent at the base of Yodeler takes place from 10:00am-2:00pm and raffle tickets (available online or from any LASP instructor) can be purchased from now until the drawing takes place at 3:00pm on the 26th.This year’s raffle prizes include a season's pass from Holiday Valley, a $100 gift card to Lowe's Home Improvement, and a $100 gift card from The City Garage Ski Shop, just to name a few. Tickets are 1 for $5 or 5 for $20.
Silent auction items are donated by many businesses and individuals throughout the Ellicottville area and will be accepted up through Friday, February 25th; email LounsburyAdaptive@yahoo.com to make arrangements. Even those who can’t participate in person on the day of the Penguin Paddle can contribute to the event by making a monetary donation in any amount at www.lounsburyadaptive.org.
“It’s just a phenomenal event! Ellicottville is such a great area,” said Sigeti. “My mom had me on skis at three years old. Skiing is just such an amazing sport, especially in this area where we live. Passing on that love to other people is such a huge reason why this program is so near and dear to my heart. It’s really great that the community comes out and supports not just the Penguin Paddle, but the life-changing work of the Lounsbury program.”
For more information about this year’s Penguin Paddle, go to holiday valley.com/events. Stay up to date on the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program by following @lounsburyadaptive on Instagram and Facebook.