Church holds skiing equipment sale to benefit food pantry
A Pennsylvania church recently held their annual ski swap event for people interested in tackling the slopes this winter and to help raise money for a local food pantry.
Ligonier Valley Heritage United Methodist Church of Ligonier and a local ski club held the swap in the church’s sanctuary on Saturday Nov. 16, collecting the skis the day before.
“Drop off your gear with name, asking price and any problems well marked from 6 to 9 pm on Friday, November 15th in the church sanctuary,” noted the church’s event post on Facebook.
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“Please have equipment and clothing clean and in good condition. Monetary and non-perishable food donations will be accepted during the Swap for the Ligonier Valley Food Pantry.”
Diana Neiderhiser, who has helped to organize the ski swap for the past 20 years, told The Christian Post that the event this year “was a great success.”
“We had to move the location from the church basement to the sanctuary, due to the major renovations taking place in our church, but it worked out well,” noted Neiderhiser.
“I also sent out a lot of text messages with the information on the event to past participants, plus it was promoted to the local ski club by their organizer. So many people were able to get equipment and clothing for the upcoming season.”
The various equipment, which includes slightly used skis, ski boots, snowboards, gloves, goggles, and other skiing-related items, with some products being resold through the swap.
When it came to donating the profits to the local food bank, Neiderhiser told CP that she saw it as them doing "our little part to help feed our local friends in need."
"Typically the cash donations go toward buying meat vouchers for the holidays for the food bank baskets, that are given to each family at Thanksgiving and Christmas," she explained.
"Also, those who bring ski and snowboarding equipment and clothing sell their items, and they get the cash. Most of those people then in turn make a donation to the food bank. We also have people who generously say just sell my items and give all of the money to the food bank."
The church is located about 10 miles from the Laurel Mountain State Park, which boasts of having the highest vertical drop in the entire Commonwealth at 761 feet.
“The resort opened in 1940, just before the U.S. entered World War II, and some of the original structures, including the storied Midway Cabin, still stand on the property,” explained the resort’s website.
“Once an exclusive club for the most prestigious residents of Pennsylvania, Laurel Mountain was gifted to the commonwealth in 1964 and is now a winter playground for everyone.”
