Snowmaker’s Ball an enjoyable event for a worthwhile cause

Mark your calendar.

Snowmaker’s Ball—Kinderwood’s annual benefit fundraiser—will be held at McCauley Mountain on February 17th. An ad for the event with all the pertinent information can be found elsewhere in this paper.

Invite your family and friends, and plan on making a night of it.

This is an event that everyone should support, not just those with children in the program.

Every parent, grandparent, store owner, and elementary teacher, and every religious and civic leader needs to support it in spirit, body and wallet.

Now’s the perfect time for Adirondackers to get out and be a part of our community.Kinderwood, a local program that recently moved to View, was started in 1969 by Mirnie Kashiwa, who recognized the value of pre-kindergarten education early on.

The federal government has since started to catch up, though not necessarily with funding.

Years ago our youngest son Calvin took part in Kinderwood’s ski program at McCauley Mountain. I attended and prepped the reluctant skier, and shoved him off. One parent made it known I was to be on skis as well—helping. It was Julie Liddle, actually.

The following week, I arrived, equipped as instructed.

Calvin would fall every time I let him go. He expressed his frustration in the way four-year-olds sometimes do (He has a lot of his mother in him). Diane Heroux stepped in with Carolyn Trimbach (then Kinderwood Head Teacher) and Julie Liddle, while I mosied away.

An hour later Calvin was skiing on his own.

To this day I’m not sure which adults contributed what to the training effort, but I’ve always been appreciative. I spent the next three weeks helping other kids in an effort to “pay it backwards.”

Back to the benefit.

The Snowmaker’s Ball, though originally a formal, is now a casual party and has been for a number of years.

So just dress which ever way is comfortable and come enjoy yourself.

Food will be prepared by the locally renowned Felicity Davey and her business partner of the Adirondack Café and McCauley Mountain’s Last Run Café.

Music will be provided this year by Dougie Green of Old Forge.

Fundraising coordinators will be Kinderwood’s entire Board of Directors, all volunteers.

You will see Sharon Kleps, Sarah Morin, Jennifer Dunn, Kelly Noonan Greene and financial planner Frances Parent, as well as Kinderwood’s current Head Teacher Diane Heroux and teacher Barb Uzdavinis.

All will be working to make this event a success. Kinderwood Board President Page Hannah will be busy where needed with her smile that’s always ready and sincere (this despite living with Mark).

Also attending will be Mirnie Kashiwa herself who, as I understand it, has not missed a ball yet.

The food will be good, the music will be entertaining and the company will be a combination of the two.

So please join Valerie and me in supporting this event. If you don’t happen to know me, and would like to for some reason, look for the brunette rubbing her sore foot on the dance floor; I’ll be the red-faced bald guy nearby.

There’s a thought.