NOW this… by Brenda
NOW this… by Brenda
Do Good…
You know what’s cool? Doing good for your community. You know what’s cooler? Making “Doing Good” a habit.
Last month, Sk8EVL (a group of local advocates raising money to build a skatepark and which I am a part of - shameless plug here) handed out 50 blank skate decks to 50 different artists - artists that live locally and as far away as Chicago, Florida and California. Our committee didn’t even know some of these folks. We put a “call-out for artists” explaining our mission, and the support came in! These artists did their thing, sent back their decks, and then we auctioned them all off Nov. 6th at Fattey’s, with all proceeds going towards building a skatepark here in Ellicottville.
It. Was. Amazing!
To everyone who helped in one way or another - the artists, all the volunteers, the restaurants that donated food - thank you for “doing good”. From this event alone, we raised over $11,000 for the skatepark. We’re also excited to announce that we’ve officially reached our goal. $250,000 over the past two years, all of which will be matched by The Skatepark Project/Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and will go towards the construction of a skatepark in Ellicottville’s Village Park. We break ground next spring!
The icing on the cake? We had a chance to celebrate our accomplishment with our project manager from The Skatepark Project (TSP), who made the trip to Ellicottville last weekend with TSP’s new programs coordinator.
So now what?
Let’s design the park! Keep tabs here and on @sk8evl’s FB/IG pages for updates on project progress and upcoming public meetings. We’ll be looking to local skateboarders and the community for input on park design. This is where things get extra exciting!!!
LET’S DO GOOD. AGAIN!
Giving Tuesday is coming up, and no doubt you’ll begin to see area non-profits posting on social media and gearing up for this one-day big boost which many of them rely heavily on for their campaign’s fundraising efforts. The Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, the Elisa B. Hughey Fund for the Arts, EVGV Trail, Empire Animal Rescue, Pink Pumpkin Project … so many great causes! The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation (CRCF) will host their form of Giving Tuesday, dubbed #CattaraugusGIVES, on Nov. 30th. You’ll find the above mentioned funds and others on their website at cattfoundation.org. Please consider giving. Even small amounts collectively lead to substantial growth for these organizations.
THE FRANK PITILLO MEMORIAL FUND
Speaking of growth, a new fund you’ll soon see at CRCF will help support the cost of new lights at Ellicottville Central School’s football field, spearheaded by Nick Pitillo, who’s family is deeply rooted in the history of ECS football.
“Many of you may not know this, but the lights over the Ellicottville Central School Football Field were put up in honor of my late brother, Frank Pitillo, in 1977,” explained Nick. “Frank was a world class athlete that was doubling up his junior and senior year of high school so he could begin his training with the U.S. Ski Team, when he was killed in a motorcycle accident. The entire town, led by my father Mike, and my mother Joan, John Northrup, Mark Ward, Bob McRae, and so many others, rallied together to raise the funds to light the field in his honor. I vividly remember being held up by my dad, in my little league football uniform, to throw the switch on the lights for the very first time.”
Fast forward many years later (44 years to be exact), and those lights are in dire need of attention. In true Pitillo fashion, fundraising efforts are now underway. Nick presented his request to the school board this past Tuesday evening, and according to Nick, “they are very receptive”.
The Frank Pitillo Memorial Fund is already off to a strong start with a $2,500 donation from Pitillo’s Meatball Streebrawl event and high-energy advocacy quickly spreading amongst the locals.
No doubt our village will come together again to showcase the true spirit of “community” - or as we like to call it, “family”.
