By Carol Fisher-Linn
Ten years ago, our community had the sad occasion to forever say goodbye to a beloved local member, “The Voice of Ellicottville”, Robert (Bobby) McCarthy. He may be out of sight, but he truly left a very large legacy, continuing to bring joy and relief to many lives long after he left this earth.
A US Army vet, McCarthy taught special education at McKinley High School in Buffalo, retiring in 1997. That was the year he took on the role of Master of Ceremonies for functions at Holiday Valley (where he was a ski coach) and his adopted “hometown” Ellicottville. An Irishman to the core, he always loved (or led) Irish singalongs, most memorably at Irishman Armand Burke’s Holiday Haus across from Holiday Valley. Holiday Haus was right up his Irish alley as it was a very laid-back Ellicottville fun spot. In those days at Holiday Haus, we regulars served our own food, poured our own drinks, wobbled around or danced on sloping old wooden floors and gathered in a huge circle on folding chairs for Irish sing-alongs led by, you guessed it, Bobby McCarthy. Returning to the Old Sod (Ireland) often, like a mother hen he gathered groups of wanna-be Irishmen and women to travel with him, showing them all his favorite places and helping them kiss the Blarney Stone. The man knew a lot about Irish culture … and more about Blarney.
Aside from all the antics, craziness, top hat and pure fun, he had a very serious side. He worked tirelessly, generally behind the scenes putting together mad, fun benefits and fund-raisers for the Ellicottville community. Hardly looking for recognition, he generally deflected to others for the spotlight. Having come from a teaching family he carried his love for kids, especially those in need, deep in that Irish heart.
This from The Bob McCarthy Foundation: “Over the years in conjunction with the local Rotary Club, we conducted numerous fundraisers, many created by the “Mad” genius of the “Voice of Ellicottville”, Bob McCarthy.” His most recognized event, Irish Christmas, was started to provide funding for Family Support’s “Santa’s Workshop helping families at Christmas.” This event now provides the bulk of the funding for Family Support.
The Foundation works with the local school and other agencies in tune with issues that families [in need] face. The foundation is a 501c3 community charitable foundation
Please mark your calendar and join in the fun at this year’s Irish Christmas (21st) on Friday, December 4, 6pm at the Brew Hall at Ellicottville Brewing company, Monroe Street, Ellicottville. Of course, there will be live Irish music by Krikwater and auctions of over 40 themed baskets, donated artistic items and freshly made pies. This event will benefit Santa’s Workshop which provides dinners and gifts for those less fortunate, the Sheriff’s Santa program and ECS Shop with a Cop, as well as support for their extensive year-round programs.
The live auction is the main feature of the event. McCarthy was an avid, excellent woodworker so his hand-crafted pie chests and wood crafted items always appeared for auction and were coveted. These days, paintings, woodworking, metalworking from local crafts persons will be featured items available for bidding along with their silent auction for baskets. Some of Ellicottville’s finest bakers will be adding pies and cakes to the auction as a bonus.
This week’s featured Irish Christmas artist is Kayann Cervola from Killbuck. Cervola grew up in Killbuck, moved to Phoenix area, then returned to our gorgeous four-season Southern Tier and its small-town atmosphere. Who can blame her? During Covid, she took some art classes and is mostly self-taught via internet classes. Cervola has a unique, fun style, mainly painting on canvas combining paint and alternative decorative crushed glass techniques, cut glass and vitrigraph – thin glass string-like colored spaghetti (and add-ons like bells, beads or glass stones), then protected with a light glasslike film of resin. Most of her work, which can be found for sale online on her Facebook page at Oh my heART is fun, whimsical and affordable. Cervola sells her paintings at Color it Creative on Union St in Olean and will be at the Irish Christmas and at St. Paul’s church in Ellicottville on Nov. 14 for the Christkindl Market.
Giving away her work for charitable causes is part of her mission which is how she found her way to Irish Christmas. As McCarthy would say with an Irish twinkle in his eye, “Nollaig shona dhaoibh!”