Bethel Outing Club thanks you

To the Editor:

It is with extreme gratitude to the community that I write this thank you letter on behalf of the Bethel Outing Club. After a year’s hiatus due to COVID, the BOC was able to hold a successful ski sale on October 29 and 30 at The Gould Academy Field House. Proceeds from the sale will go to helping cover skier scholarships for the BOC Cross Country Skiing Programming that will start in just a few weeks when the snow flies.

We look forward to partnering with Mahoosuc Kids Association to make the programming accessible to even more kids in the community this year. The tremendous outpouring of help from community members really made all of this possible.

First and foremost, we would like to thank Gould Academy for letting us host the event on their campus. Tao Smith, Bob Harkins, Ben Kamilewicz, David Willis, and Chris Hayward helped us work out the details for a safe event.

Thank you to Deb Costello and Marya Vincent for helping with communication of the event and to Jerry Bernier and crew for getting us lots of tables to use for displaying goods. A special thank you to Chris Hayward and his ski-making class members Hannah Pierce, Phoebe Garfield, Tyler Hamel, Huntley Blair and Alex Hamadeh.

They produced a beautiful pair of skis that were raffled off at the ski sale to raise additional funds and were won by Kathyrn Livingood. A huge shout out to the Gould Mountain Biking, Gould Field Hockey, and Gould Cross Country Running Teams for their incredible help moving all the ski sale equipment to the field house.

Thank you to Mark Kenney and MSAD44 for allowing us to use their folding tables as well. Lyndsey Smith and her Northstar crew of Sarah, Nancy, Angel, Sabrina, Labby, Bella, Blakley, Whyatt, Taylor, Malakai, Cici, Dylan, Evy, Emily, Noah, Caleb, Liz, and Alice met us after school to move all these tables and set up over 80 tables in the field house. This group was remarkably cheerful and super helpful. They made the rest of the set-up easy! Thank you.

Thank you to the following volunteers who helped set-up, clean-up, schlepp and organize gear, give support at the doors, serve as cashiers, ticket sorters, and security, organize used gear, make food for volunteers and hang signs.

It took an army of volunteers to cover all these jobs: Laura Allen-Tummon, Nancy Babcock, Chris and Rosie Barstow, Andy Beaton, Eric Boyle-Wight, Allie Burke, Fred Call, Carlie Casey, Katie Chambers, Caleb and Beth Clarke, Donna and Molly Coe, Betsey Cooper, Paige, Jarred, Teddy, Jocelyn, and Foster Crockett, Katy Crooker, David, Davon and Kayan DeGruttola, John Dunn, Tony, Sam, Abby and Lydia Fantana, Myles Felch, George Fox, Rose Goldberg, Alice Goodwin, Norm Greenberg, Clare Greene, Lauren Head, Megan Heon, Beth Hodgdon, Rob Horschman, Gary Inman, Wade Kavanaugh, Jim Lindsay, William McSherry, Pratt Olson, Erin, Elsa and Emily Parker, Bruce, Reece and Suzanne Pierce, Bob Poirier (Ski Chair Donation), Megan and Guy Pollino, Kristen Powell, Colleen and Mallory Raymond, Julie Reiff, Julia and Jim Reuter, Joyce and Pat Roma, Lesley Rowse, Becky Secrest, Amy Scott, Brett Shifrin, Martha and Kirk Siegel, Lee and Steve Smith, Peter and Max Southam, Ann Speth, Katie Stack, Alex Strugatskiy, Gabrielle Thompson, David Walker, Paula Weisberger, Jenny Wheeler, Gary Wilson, Karen Wilson, Rosemary Wiser, Sarah Wood, and Doug Zinchuk.

A special thank you goes to Fred Call and Julia Reuter for the extra time they put into the sale. Fred organized all the signage that helped with the safe flow of people through the sale and Julia served as head cashier, tabulating all the sales and figuring out the financials of the entire sale. Lastly, a most sincere thanks to Mahoosuc Rescue for literally coming to our rescue. Just when we are all feeling most exhausted, this group swoops in to help clean-up the sale. Their strength, efficiency and kindness are incredibly appreciated.

Thank you to our vendors: George and crew from Plymouth Ski and Sport, Travis, Terry and their crew from Sports Outlet, Tim Akers from Akers Ski, and Jes and Anne Carter from Carter’s Cross Country Ski Center. Without your merchandise and knowledgeable advice on the floor, the sale would not be possible. Special thanks to Jonathan and True North Adventureware for their help collecting used gear for the sale. This effort really allows us to get more used gear into the sale.

Thank you also to the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce staff, Deanne, Katy and Jessie, for helping distribute used gear tags in the weeks leading up to the sale. Lastly, thank you to Jeff Newsom and Saranne Taylor for the use of their barn for storage of ski sale equipment and to Robin and Doug Zinchuk for
the storage and transportation of ski racks. Thank you to Charlie Reiss and Bethel Kitchen design for the use of your truck for transporting equipment.

We are looking forward to a wonderful ski season and appreciate everyone who came out to shop at the BOC Ski Sale. Money you spent at the sale directly translates into support of local youth skiing. See you on the trails soon!

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