ELLICOTTVILLE — Participants in the 13th annual Ellicottville Ski Club (ESC) Ladies’ Day at Holiday Valley on Feb. 16 raised $9,200 to benefit this year’s recipient, the Nannen Arboretum.

The money was raised from the day of skiing and a dinner complete with raffles and a live auction that followed. In addition to donations from ESC members, nearly every local business contributed to this year’s silent and live auction as well as a ticket raffle, according to organizers.

“Our event is so successful thanks to the area businesses as well as the ESC members and their generous contributions over the past 13 years,” said Laura DeCinque, co-chair of the annual ESC Ladies’ Day event.

The $9,200 donation from the ESC Ladies’ Day directly enables the Nannen Arboretum — an eight-acre sanctuary for hundreds of trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and herbs — to jumpstart its 2018 goal to ensure walkways and paths at the arboretum become ADA accessible. Estimates for the project are over $20,000. Other initiatives the arboretum has determined for 2018 are a cleanup day to restore damage done to the trees during a March storm, a redesign of the herb garden, enhancing the Arboretum image through social media and the recruitment of volunteers.

Pat Kerl, a member of the Nannen Arboretum Society, stated, “We are overwhelmed and so grateful to all the local businesses and the members of the Ellicottville Ski Club that helped support the ladies in their annual fundraiser. And we are thrilled to be the recipient this year!”

What began 13 years ago as an informal ski day followed by a dinner prepared by the men of club has grown to be an annual fundraising event. To date, the women have now raised over $71,000 for various area charities. Past recipients include Family Support for Ellicottville, the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program at Holiday Valley, the Ellicottville Memorial Library, Mercy Flight of Western New York, Susan G. Komen for the Cure of WNY, Almost Home Animal Sanctuary, Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, The March of Dimes of WNY, the Ellicottville Community Food Pantry and last year’s recipient, Cattaraugus Community Action.

Anyone interested in making a donation, obtaining information about special events or volunteering at the Nannen Arboretum may contact either Kerl or Nan Miller at info@nannenarboretum.org.

The Nannen Arboretum is located at 28 Parkside Drive in Ellicottville and is free to the public and open daily from dawn to dusk. Visit the Arboretum’s Facebook page, Nannen Arboretum Society, or via Instagram, @nannenarboretum.