Carson’s Chicken BBQ Coming to EVL
Carson’s Chicken BBQ Coming to EVL
Four months. That’s all the time that remains to raise as much funding as possible for the construction of a permanent concrete skatepark in Ellicottville. The clock is ticking, and the Ellicottville Skatepark Committee (SK8EVL) is in high gear to meet its goal, which turned nearly impossible overnight, when our nation came to a standstill this past March.
Rewind: Summer 2018, a group of local skateboarders met with Ellicottville officials to discuss a grant opportunity to bring a state-of-the-art outdoor skate facility to the Village Park. The Tony Hawk Foundation and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation have teamed up to offer up to $250,000 in matching funds to qualifying communities across western New York in their mission to help these communities build quality skateparks that are open to the public and free to use. With support from Ellicottville’s Village Board, Ellicottville applied for and received grant approval last November.
The challenge: Raise the full match. $250k. Under the grant contract, the Foundations only allow one year to fundraise. This puts Ellicottville’s fundraising deadline at Nov. 30, 2020.
Four months.
With much support received early on, SK8EVL was on the fast track for advocacy and awareness. Ellicottville Mayor John Burrell and the Village of Ellicottville committed $20k to the project. The Rotary Club of Ellicottville followed suit with another $20k. Ellicottville Town Supervisor Matt McAndrew expressed his support in also providing financial assistance (amount TBD). Top it off with raffles held over this past ski season and generous donations from Ellicottville’s full-time and part-time homeowners which continue to come in, and the project is closing in on $80,000 to date.
But SK8EVL still has a long way to go. Throw in a pandemic, resulting in the cancellation of pretty much every event on everyone’s summer radar, and the SK8EVL committee found itself in a race to navigate new ways to fundraise.
Enter Carson’s BBQ.
Covid-19 may have taken away many of summer’s enjoyments, but the one thing it hasn’t surrendered, is your traditional summertime chicken BBQ. From now until Fall, you can undoubtedly find a roadside BBQ stand on any given weekend. Take a drive on the 219 north of Ellicottville and you’ll see Ken Carson and his team (including his mom on occasion) serving up chicken and rib dinners most Saturdays and Sundays, typically selling out within just a couple hours. Anyone familiar with the Carson family and their restaurant, Carson’s Ashford House (owned by Ken’s dad, the late Joel Carson), can attest to their mouth-watering reputation. Although the restaurant is no longer in operation, Ken continues to satisfy the cravings of long-time customers throughout the surrounding communities with his on-site BBQ pit and catering service. Lucky for Ellicottville, he is bringing his pit to the village for one day. Mark your calendars NOW.
On Saturday, Aug. 8th, Carson’s staff and members of SK8EVL will be set up at the Village/Town Hall (across from the post office), dishing out to-go dinners fresh off the grill, from 11:00am until gone. Get your filling of a half chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob, and butter with roll for $14.00. As a supporter of the Ellicottville Skatepark, Ken is generously donating all profits from the day to the skatepark fund. SK8EVL will also have t-shirts available, and information about the skatepark project for those wanting to learn more.
Chicken dinners will be offered on a first-come first served basis. Cash and credit card, PayPal and Venmo accepted. The public is reminded that masks are required when social distancing cannot be maintained; this includes approaching the vendor to purchase dinners. Learn more about the Ellicottville Skatepark Project at sk8evl.com. Or better yet, let your sense of smell lead you to dinner-made-easy on Aug 8th and talk with advocates first-hand.
