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Mountain Mediation helps members of the community resolve issues through unity and peace before the conflicts enter the court system.

So it is fitting the nonprofit titled its upcoming fundraiser “Voices in Harmony,” said Associate Director Nicole E. “NED” Droitsch.

“At our base we are the mediation and conflict resolution center for the community, which is something we’ve been doing for the 20 years we’ve been around,” she said. “During our timeframe we’ve found that doing those upstream pieces is so essential.”
The fundraiser, scheduled for Thursday at the Rooftop at Pendry Park City, will help maintain those programs, including the signature Let’s Talk training, according to Maydeline “Mayde” Casiano, Mountain Mediation’s marketing and engagement coordinator.

“(We) focus a lot on conflict resolution and upstream education, and we have different tiers with Let’s Talk,” she said. 

The first level is Let’s Talk Essentials that Mountain Mediation provides for free, Casiano said.

“We like to bring in the community to show what we can do to better communicate and resolve conflicts before they arise or at the moment they arise,” she said.

Let’s Talk Building Trust Through Communication builds on the Essentials program, while Let’s Talk Managing Difficult Conversations helps people navigate high-stakes interactions, according to Casiano.

“What’s so great about fundraisers like this is that they allow us to provide these programs at a much affordable price,” she said. “That way, if someone has an issue with a landlord and can’t pay rent for whatever reason, we will try to bring them both in and look for the best way to go forward.”

Mountain Mediation will work to do almost anything to stop a dispute from getting out of hand, Droitsch said.

“We don’t want to get to a place where people go to court or where family members stop speaking to each other or where politicians aren’t able to interact with the people they are representing,” she said. “We also are proud of the upstream education we give to landlords and tenets.”

Those sessions started in 2020, around the time COVID hit, Droitsch said.

“Evictions are the most destabilizing pieces in a community for both tenants and landlords,” she said. “Upstream education partners with institutions to reach people, both sides, where they’re at and shows them rights and responsibilities and pathways that don’t involve the court system. We do believe that getting two people at the table is the best way to solve their problems. We’re just there to facilitate open communication.”

While Casiano usually doesn’t participate in the mediation process, she is one of the staff members who refer people to Mountain Mediation services.

“It’s very rewarding to me to be able to provide these types of resources for those who, for example, may not be able to pay rent for whatever reason,” she said. “These issues don’t just affect people (financially). They affect people’s mental health and other aspects of their lives. So it’s rewarding to provide these opportunities for people to find middle ground and move forward.”

“Voices in Harmony” will start at 6 p.m., Droitsch said.

“It’s a very casual event, so some people will come straight from work, while others may go home to freshen up before they arrive,” she said. “The evening will start with a heavy buffet or hor d’oeuvres type of foods, wine and a cash bar.”

Paul Hochman, known for his work with the Park City Follies and his band, the Antibodies, will provide the entertainment, Droitsch said.

“He is so funny and talented and usually plays these amazing tunes, but he’s working on a special surprise to emulate what Mountain Mediation is and what the event is,” she said. “Since our event is called ‘Voices in Harmony,’ he is going to give us a little musical program that shows what it means when we work together and create something beautiful.”
Attendees will have the chance to bid on silent auction items, Droitsch said.

“We will have some amazing silent auction tickets — Utah Jazz tickets, Utah Mammoth items that include a signed hockey stick, a cooler and a jersey,” she said. “We also have a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and a sponsorship for the Egyptian Theatre’s Pharaoh Club.”

Droitsch is grateful for community members and businesses who donated the silent auction items.

“Our hearts bubble over with the support from this community,” she said. “It just shows everyone wants to help build a more peaceful community.” 

Pendry Park City is the perfect place to host “Voices in Harmony”, Droitsch said.

“They are such a fantastic partner for us and have been so generous,” she said. “We started this fundraiser as a small Pizza at the Pendry gathering in the lower area, and for the past two years they’ve offered to host our event up on their full house deck.”

Droitsch enjoys the Rooftop’s ambiance.

“It’s a gorgeous magical space at the end of the summer, and it shows us where we live and what kind of mountain town we are,” she said. “It’s in the mountains and a little chilly so the fireplace is going. It upgraded our event and allows us to have that end-of-the-summer celebration.”

Mountain Mediation’s ‘Voices in Harmony’ fundraiser