The Ellicottville Skatepark Committee (SK8EVL) has set a new date for SOUP-to-SKATE, a fundraising event in support of the Ellicottville Skatepark Project. Originally planned for March, SOUP-to-SKATE was cancelled due to Covid-19. The rescheduled event will take place Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Ellicottville Town Center.
SOUP-to-SKATE will showcase handmade ceramic bowls created by local school students, delicious soups and chili donated by area restaurants, and basket raffles with great prizes donated by many local businesses and community members. Every dollar raised will be doubled through a matching grant awarded by the Tony Hawk Foundation (now known as The Skatepark Project) and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and will be applied towards the construction of a permanent, outdoor concrete skatepark in Ellicottville’s Village Park.
The original SOUP-to-SKATE event invited supporters to enjoy a sit-down soup tasting and soup & chili cook-off, complete with good company, live music and on-site raffles. The Nov. 8th venue will look a bit different due to social distancing regulations, but the mission remains the same: “Let’s Build a Skatepark.”
“This is a truly unique community fundraiser that showcases the creativity of our local students, along with delicious recipes from our sponsoring restaurants, Ellicottville Brewing Company, Dina’s, and Katy’s Cafe,” said Rachel Elser, SK8EVL committee member. “Last winter, students from Ellicottville Central and Allegany-Limestone Central started creating ceramic bowls specifically for this event, using clay and other materials donated by Hog Shed Studio Pottery of East Otto and Ellicottville resident Greg Cappelli. Their efforts got cut short when everything closed down, and unfortunately, with no one allowed in classrooms for quite some time, some of the material and unfinished pieces went to waste.”
When schools re-opened their doors for the 2020-21 school year, art teachers Deb McGowan of ECS and Nicole Missel of Allegany-Limestone evaluated their supply and, along with their students, are now in high gear to finish as many bowls as they are able with what material was salvageable. Knowing that bowls will be limited, Horn Hill Pottery of Ellicottville stepped up to the plate and has committed to helping the cause by creating an additional supply of bowls for the event.
Being hosted as an indoor, in-person event, attendees should note that masks will be required to enter, and there will be a separate entrance and exit, with “stations” set up from one end to the other to help participants maintain a safe distance from one another.
At the event, attendees will get to choose a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl and purchase their basket raffle tickets, make their way through the raffle prizes, and lastly, before exiting, they will choose their soup/chili of choice, which will be provided to-go. Winners of the basket raffles will be posted on SK8EVL’s Facebook page.
Pre-sale tickets are available which guarantees you a handmade bowl. Pre-order your tickets for $25 each at the ellicottvilleNOW office (9 W. Washington Street, Ellicottville), through any SK8EVL Committee member, or by calling 716-244-7573. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door. You do not need to purchase a ticket to take part in the basket raffles.
For additional information about SOUP-to-SKATE or if you would like to donate an item for the basket raffles, contact SK8EVL lead advocate Brenda Perks at 716-244-7573 or email [email protected].
To date, SK8EVL has raised $61,000 in donations, commitments and pledges. With Covid providing the ultimate challenge in SK8EVL’s fundraising goal, and with the fundraising deadline just around the corner, the committee is encouraging everyone with a love for Ellicottville to show their support in any way they can. If you aren’t able to attend SOUP-to-SKATE, other donation opportunities are available, including a direct donation to SK8EVL’s fund set up at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation (www.cattfoundation.org), purchasing a commemorative brick which will be installed in the area of the skatepark (link at sk8evl.com) or for those looking to make a substantial donation, a sponsorship brochure can be downloaded from sk8evl.com or email [email protected].
