‘Tis the ski ball season

By Published On: October 3rd, 2014Comments Off on ‘Tis the ski ball season
Julia Mancuso and Tommy Ford at the 2013 San Francisco Snow Ball. USSA

Julia Mancuso and Tommy Ford at the 2013 San Francisco Snow Ball. USSA

The U.S. Ski Team receives no government funding, so every dime spent to keep athletes on the path to success needs to be raised from donations.

Julia Requarth, the marketing manager for the USSA Foundation, has hit her busiest time of year. It’s ski ball season, though they refer to the grand fundraising events held around the country as “galas” in the office. Outside of the phenomenally successful Gold Pass, the balls are the single greatest source of revenue for the U.S. Ski Team, bringing in about $1.4 million.

There are just a handful of these balls: Oct. 9 in Boston, Oct. 18 in San Francisco, Oct. 24 in Chicago, and Oct. 30 in New York. Denver will also host one sometime in November.

“There  is also a small one in Dallas, held at a trustee’s house,” noted Requarth.

The big draw for these events, Requarth says, “are the athletes.” Particularly, she adds, those who have won championship medals.

“We’ve been above last season in interest so far,” she said before the first of the balls has opened its doors. “Very unusual in a post Olympic season.”

The balls have been stoking the excitement for ski racing fans for decades, and the locations in which they are held is anything but random.

“These sites have dedicated trustees,” said Requarth, indicating that key individuals drive the events by talking them up with their friends and building participation.

See the full list of this year’s USSA Foundation events here.

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”