Gear, Beer, and Movie Premiere

Oct 21

Kimberly Reading (center) and her team are excited to welcome in guests for the Nov. 8th fundraiser at 42 North Brewing Co. in East Aurora.

Ski season is almost here and what better way to usher in the winter festivities than with a cold beer, ski and snowboard gear giveaways, and a freestyle skiing movie premiere!

That’s exactly what Kimberly Reading is doing with the sixth iteration of her annual “Gear, Beer & Movie Premier Ski Season Kickoff Party,” which will feature a big fundraising raffle, basket raffles, live music, and ski movie brought to you by the good people at Head and Tyrolia. EllicottvilleNOW caught up with Reading to discuss what to expect from this year’s event.

“So we started six years ago,” said Reading, who co-owns Mud, Sweat n’ Gears (with locations in Ellicottville and East Aurora) with her husband Miguel. “John Cimperman, the owner of 42 North Brewing Company in East Aurora, approached us and wanted to collaborate with some kind of preseason/ski season kickoff party, so we put our heads together and came up with this event. We wanted it to be a charitable event, and we decided to support adaptive skiing in western New York.”

This year marks the sixth annual kickoff party, and Reading indicated that there would be raffle drawings for ski and snowboard gear, season passes, lift tickets, as well as a basket raffle.

“As in the past, the event includes a big raffle - we have all kinds of ski and snowboard equipment to raffle off,” Reading said. “We have helmets and googles and lift tickets and season passes… one of the big ticket items this year is a two-day, mid-week stay at the Mirror Lake Inn which is in Lake Placid. We’re also raffling off a five-night stay at a three bedroom condo in Park City, Utah - that’s new this year.”

In addition to those “big ticket” items, there will also be a basket raffle drawing. “We have all kinds of donations from vendors and businesses that we’re going to put together on the day of the event,” Reading said. She shared that the event will also feature a movie premiere of Inside the Season, produced by the Head/Tyrolia Freeskiing Team. Representatives from Head/Tyrolia will be on-hand to answer any questions following the movie, and the event will also feature live music by Pat and Owen, a familiar duo that plays all around Western New York. “They’re super fun!” Reading said.

Raffle tickets for those big items will sell for $20 for one, $35 for two, and $50 for three. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at both Mud, Sweat n’ Gears locations or by scanning the QR code on the Facebook event page.

Last year’s attendance drew a big crowd, and Reading expects this year’s event to bring an even bigger turnout. “I am hoping some of the big raffle items are going to draw more people in,” she said. “I think this year’s movie premiere is exciting, and the live entertainment that we have… I’m excited about that, too!

“The event itself is a lot of fun! A lot of high energy,” she continued. “This event brings everyone together and gets everybody all excited for the upcoming season. And this is our way of giving back - supporting the local adaptive ski programs that make the mountain accessible so everyone can experience what makes skiing and riding so special.”

Don’t miss the sixth annual Gear, Beer & Movie Premiere Ski Season Kickoff Party taking place on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00-6:00pm at 42 North Brewing Company in East Aurora. This family-friendly event, including all proceeds from the raffle ticket sales, will go directly to support the adaptive programs here in western New York.

For additional information, check out the Mud, Sweat n’ Gears Facebook page and event listing, or call the store at 716-699-8300.