Little Pink PowderRoom Cocktail Party Goes Big-Time

Samantha Timkey, store manager of The Boardroom and The PowderRoom of Ellicottville, is one of the behind-the-scenes masterminds and collaborators of the Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) initiative in Ellicottville. Many may wonder, how did a nationwide, action sports event such as B4BC come to our resort?

It all began during a casual chat four years ago between Timkey and her Burton Snowboard rep at the time, Susanne Steck. With The Boardroom having their own women’s specific section, The PowderRoom, Steck thought it would be a fun idea to host a “ladies night” party at their shop location.

“After brainstorming for a few weeks, we decided to turn it into a fundraiser for B4BC, a cause that we supported whole heartedly,” said Timkey, sharing that Amanda Greene, Timkey’s friend and the current East Coast Regional Ambassador for B4BC, was stoked to be a part of it and couldn’t wait to get the organization involved.

With the help of HV Youth Marketing Coordinator Pat Morgan and everyone at Holiday Valley, this little pink cocktail party turned into a major event at the resort, with on-hill activities, a live auction, awards ceremony, and so much more.  “It was kind of like all of the puzzle pieces fell into place; the timing was good and we knew all the right people,” said Timkey.

The Boardroom encourages the public to donate. An active giving donation page has been set up for the event at Holiday Valley that represents all the local sponsors as a whole, which can be found here: http://www.stayclassy.org/events/detail?eid=9178. “Also, our store has partnered with B4BC and their "Shred the Love" program in which we are selling B4BC merchandise - water bottles, tote bags, stickers, wristbands, etc. … it has been very successful thus far,” Timkey said.

Expect to see The Boardroom at Holiday Valley’s B4BC on Feb. 11 with a tent stocked full of demos for both men and women. Meet Timkey and the rest of her family at the awards/auction section of the event. Timkey commented, “With the help of all of Morgan’s incredible event planning skills, we still continue to come up with new ways to stoke.”

MANUFACTURERS STEP UP

Initially, Timkey began her fundraising efforts for B4BC by selling paper bras and hanging them around the store with clothespins; the bigger the donation, the bigger the “cup size.” Since then, she has switched gears and has begun reaching out to all her manufacturers, who have been more than generous by sending boxes upon boxes of merchandise to raffle and auction off.

“Let me tell you,” Timkey commented, “we are beyond lucky to work with the people that we do. Every year they go completely above and beyond - it really makes the legwork worth it when you have so many great people supporting you. The satisfaction that we get is beyond words. Not only is B4BC benefitting, but a portion of the money raised goes to Camp Good Days at Kueka Lake, so it stays local.”

“The support we get from local businesses, residents, and visitors is so incredible; to see so many people being so generous and coming together to back an event like this is unbelievable. It just feels good at the end of the day, to think that you've helped make a difference,” Timkey exclaimed.

THE BOARDROOM

This year, The Boardroom picked up Never Summer Snowboards and, according to Timkey, they can barely keep them in stock. They also have the Oakley Goggle Bar, where you can custom build your goggles. Additionally, they have a ton of great layering pieces and technical apparel, “which are definitely coming in hot this winter when it's 45 degrees and rain one day, and 18 degrees and snow the next,” she said.

The Boardroom has been family owned and operated for 27 years, with two Beagles that come to work daily. They offer free high-fives, daily ski, snowboard and performance rentals, a full-service repair shop and off-site lift ticket window for Holiday Valley. Apparel, outerwear, accessories and equipment get you on the hill and keep you stoked. Good time guarantee!

Stop by the shop at 6119 Route 219, right at the base of Holiday Valley, and check out what the Timkeys have to offer. Find them on Facebook and Twitter @boardroomeville, or by telephone at 716-699-5620 or 699-2931.