Ski Patrol Food Drive
Ski Patrol Food Drive
Holiday Valley patrollers rally community to support our local food pantry
Photos / HVSP
Marking the close of the pre-Lenten season, Mardi Gras is a time of celebration, plenty, and fun! For the members of the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol, there’s no better way to celebrate this special time of year than to rally the community in a spirit of giving. For over 30 years, the ski patrol has held their annual food drive during Ellicottville’s Mardi Gras weekend, and they’re looking forward to sharing the love once again this year! Ellicottville’s Mardi Gras celebration takes place March 8-9th… this weekend!
Ski Patroller Rebecca Mansell has been involved with the food drive for the past eight years. She noted that this is the key fundraising event for the Ellicottville Food Pantry, which is located at the United Church of Ellicottville at 51 Elizabeth Street. She said, “Last year, we collected 83 boxes of food and about $2,700 in cash donations. All of that went straight to the Ellicottville Food Pantry.”
So what exactly do the boxes include? Mansell explained, “Non-perishable food items, toiletries, cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues, feminine products - anything that’s needed.” On Friday night, the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol will be set up with their donation tent from 5:00-9:00pm and on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll be collecting donations from 10:00am-6:00pm. “We will also march in Saturday evening’s Mardi Gras Parade and collect donations,” she added. “With the influx of people coming into town this weekend, it’s a great opportunity for us to be seen in the public right there, doing something good for the community.”
Ski patrollers will be partnering with Tops grocery store to use shopping carts along the parade route to collect food donations. Additionally, ski patrollers and their families will be walking in the parade with coffee cans to collect cash donations. “Sometimes, we’ve had 30 different ski patrol members marching with us, pushing carts, walking around rabble rousing to get people to see us. All family members are welcome, and we share patrol coats with the kids and family members that are also representing us as we walk down the street.” In the spirit of Mardi Gras, ski patrollers have Mardi Gras beads to give to parade-goers who donate along the route.
Mansell emphasized that all cash and food donations stay in the area. “The best part is that everything that’s donated is kept locally for the local community,” she said. “We know there’s a lot of money that comes in for the skiing community, but there’s also a community around it that lives here when it’s not ski season. Some people just touch base and they’re vacationing, but there’s really a world around us of people who are in need, and we’re here to help.”
Helping is at the heart of Holiday Valley’s ski patrol, which is comprised of volunteers who are committed to maintaining a safe, fun experience on the slopes for all. Holiday Valley Ski Patrol Director Ben Graham explained that March is an important month, as this is when the new group of prospective ski patrollers begins their training. He explained, “To become a ski patroller starts in March, and you shadow a patroller. If you like what you see, then you apply. At the end of March, we do a ski test to see how your skiing ability is and if we can work with you. From there, you go through an interview process, and then we select a candidate base.”
The base is typically four to seven candidates for the following season. In September, this group begins their first aid training. “We are outdoor emergency care certified,” Graham explained. “So this training runs from September until November, and then they take their first aid test. If they pass that, then when ski season starts, we do the skiing part of ski patrol, and that runs the whole season until March.” Once a candidate passes the first aid test and the skiing test, they can become a ski patroller.
Mansell noted that the success rate is typically around 90% due to the extensive training, which includes hours of hands-on work and a 1,500-page textbook that must be learned. Upon the start of ski season, candidates spend two days a week doing ski and toboggan training and spend afternoons training in outdoor emergency care all season long. Candidates come from all over the country and many different walks of life, Graham noted. “We have people from all professions: we’ve got doctors, lawyers, teachers, medics, firemen, landscapers, technology people, carpenters,” he said. “They’re all just basically here to help people and give back.”
For those who are interested in joining the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol for the 2026-2027 season, visit www.holidayvalleyskipatrol.org or email recruiting@holidayvalleyskipatrol.org.