Park City community members rallied behind snow safety professionals during the ski patrol strike at Park City Mountain, raising more than $300,000 in strike fund GoFundMe donations and offering support in outreach efforts.
“We have felt the most love and support from this community this year. So many people were chanting and hooting in support of us. It feels really special that we have the community on our side,” said Mike Reilly, a seventh-year patroller at Park City Mountain.
To give back to the community and offer a space for connection, education and fun, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association is hosting the 10th annual Backcountry Bow Wow at The Marquis on March 22.
For the first time, they will also join forces for the event with the Solitude ski patrol union and the Park City lift maintenance union, newly unionized units that exemplify the push for solidarity across the Wasatch and the nation of mountain workers, said Reilly.
The fundraiser will divide proceeds among Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, the Mountain Training Center, Solitude’s ski patrol, Park City Mountain’s lift maintenance crew and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association. The event aims to continue a decade-long mission of promoting safety and education locally.
“That’s one of our biggest jobs on the mountain: safety. Whether that’s managing avalanche terrain or responding to injuries, that is always our biggest priority,” said Reilly. “We want people to feel safe and comfortable in multiple environments, whether in the resort or backcountry, and to be educated in all aspects.”
The Marquis Park City has donated the space for the event on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. with live music from the bluegrass band Pixie and the Party Grass Boys, returning for a second time to support the fundraiser. The event’s silent auction and opportunity drawing contribute the biggest portion of funds to the cause in which local businesses and brands donate goods and services to offer to the public. Tickets are on sale for $35 each, with the option to donate through the event site. The Backcountry Bow Wow is still accepting donations for auction and raffle items.
“We really want this to be as big as we can be,” said Reilly. “Our goal was $100,000 and 1,000 people for our 10-year anniversary, and we’re hopeful for things to turn out as it gets closer.”
“We got this event started 10 years ago because we wanted to keep that involvement going and bring our community together to raise funds for good causes that keep people safe,” he said. “A lot of these nonprofits and other local organizations rely on donors to help with their outreach and education. That’s really important for us and a big part of our overall mission as a union itself, local outreach and involvement.”