ESAC kickoff even raises $14K
Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center raised approximately $14,000 with their Season Kickoff Event on Saturday, Dec. 5, and offered free avalanche awareness seminars to locals and visitors alike.
Ski patrollers and local mountain guides taught a series of classes at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area on Saturday. About 50 people attended each session. Sessions covered terrain assessment to avalanche beacon use.
Howie Schwartz of Sierra Mountain Guides leads a course in identifying avalanche terrain. Photo courtesy: Allan Pietrasanta.
Lake Tahoe-based Todd Offenbacher, a Resort Sports Network personality and self-described “average skier and climber” gave a slideshow presentation of his journeys to the Arctic and Antarctic on Saturday evening. About 230 people attended the event, in which Offenbacher shared photos of world-class athletes he’d been invited to ski and climb with, saying that, although he’s generally the slowest member of the team, “I never complain and I’m the first to raise my hand when something needs to get done. So they keep inviting me back.”
Local businesses and artists contributed over $20,000 in retail in raffle prizes, according to ESAC. The organization’s fundraising efforts on Saturday put them about $6,000 away from their season goal, they said in a statement.
