Oct. 7 marked the 5C Ski and Snowboard Club’s welcome back kickback event at Last Name Brewing. A high turnout, killer performances and energetic leadership made this a memorable night for those in attendance.
Nothing coordinates better than the crisp chill of a fall evening and the warmth of a food truck, and Thursday night did not disappoint. Conversation was flowing almost as much as the craft beers. As 5C Ski handed out raffle prizes for its fundraiser, a succession of 5C student performances kept the energy high and the crowd dancing all the way until the event’s end.
First in the event’s lineup was the band Village Green (Zachary Baum PZ ’24, Isaac Vollen PZ ’24, Graham Dezron-Supplee PZ ’22, Alex Albrecht CM ’23), followed by guitarist Luis Verdin CM ’23 and vocalist Lily Silver SC ’23, with Denson Camp PO ’23 finishing off the performances.
“This [event] was incredible,” Vollen said. “This was absolutely incredible. You know, we haven’t played music on stage in like, almost two years, so it was a real treat. Looking forward to doing it more.”
“This was absolutely incredible.” —Isaac Vollen PZ ’24
Fellow band member Zachary Baum PZ ’24 agreed.
“Music for me is very much a social thing,” he said. “All in all, what an experience to bring all these people together.”
In addition to providing a much-needed night of entertainment for 5C students, last week’s kickback event was planned with fundraising in mind. The prize raffle was inspired by 5C Ski and Board’s commitment to expand opportunities for enjoying winter sports, which can often be viewed as exclusive due to pricey equipment.
“[The club wanted] to fundraise for our accessibility initiatives,” 5C Ski and Snowboard’s president Kirill Myagkov PO ’22 said. “We want to get more people on the mountain. We really did well with our beginner day trip … in February of 2020, where we took 30 students from FLI backgrounds up to Big Bear for a day. It resonated really well with that group, and we want to be able to increase our funding so that we can do more of those trips, get more of those students up to the mountain.”
Despite enthusiastic lines for raffle tickets and beer vouchers, 5C Ski “didn’t raise as much money as expected,” according to Myagkov. However, it was “still able to raise a decent amount … which will help fund a number of students for our beginner day initiative.”
In fact, 5C Ski and Snowboard raised enough at the welcome back event to fully fund three additional spots for students from FLI backgrounds for their upcoming beginner day trip.
“Moreover, we were excited that we raised awareness about the club,” Myagkov said.
Another silver lining of 5C Ski’s kickback event was its success navigating through COVID-19 circumstances. As organized social gatherings trickle back into existence, 5C Ski and Snowboard club’s welcome back kickback led by example in paving the way for future fun-filled events.
“I am ecstatic about the amount of people that decided to come out,” Myagkov said. “We’re excited to see so many people wanting to support our accessibility initiatives … and just people coming out to enjoy a good time outdoors, in open air with good music.”
5C Ski and Board will be posting updates on their Instagram @5c.ski, Facebook @5Cski and website.