-By Chad Neal-
This Sunday October 2nd at noon the Be Grateful benefit for Mat” Slugger” Snyder will start at Balloons. Mat was diagnosed with cancer and has recently started the necessary steps to destroy it. He has been off work since his diagnosis although being the man he is, he still does a few things he can like cutting stained glass which is his business. He was the Grateful Monday bartender at Balloons, which he will start again after all of this is over for him. His had a Grateful Dead themed day shift where he would play a recording of a live Grateful Dead show from the vault. His stained-glass business is Ellicottville Stained Glass and you can see his work in Balloons in the front bar on the ceiling and many other places as well.
This benefit has many generous people stepping up and donating money and prizes and food. A ticket which is available at
Balloons or from a handful of volunteers including yours truly, is only $25 and includes food, entertainment and a chance at a big prize. Jonny Barlow, Dan Aldrich, Mike and Melanie Kerns, Joe Lyford, Delaney Peters, Cameron McClure, Indigo De Orbe and Clayton Silvernail can all sell you a ticket. Also, there are sweet wrist bands with Be Grateful Slugger Strong on them that can be purchased. All proceeds go to Mat as he will not be going to work for quite a while and this will help him considerably.
Many prizes will be up for raffle including a 2007 white Chevy Colbalt coupe with 134,000 miles donated by Randy “Hummer” Kane from his auto dealership. More prizes donated for the raffles include a large Yeti cooler, tickets to see comedienne Amy Schumer at Seneca Allegany Casino, homemade wreaths, a basket from EVL Canna Club, a Buffalo Bills package, and many, many more donated gifts from businesses and citizens all over the area. The food that will be available has a Grateful Dead parking lot theme as well. As you step onto the Shakedown Street the aromas of many different kinds of food will entice your munchies. A few talented chefs from local restaurants are making appetizer size goodies and the food truck parked there will have a plethora of Dead Head style foods; they are offering gourmet fatty veggie burritos, and more – including desserts.
The entertainment is hippy as well, a reggae band called High Noon. The band will be playing during the benefit and making some great sounds that’ll send all the positive vibes we are gathering to help Slugger through this ordeal. Recently starting chemotherapy Slugger is ready to get this over with and back to what he loves doing. Tickets will be available at the door too, but bring a handful of cash to buy tickets you’ll need for the prizes and for the chance to win a car.
‘Well, everybody’s dancing in a ring around the sun, nobody’s finished we ain’t even begun!’
Be Grateful we’ll see you Sunday! Slugger Strong!