The Ragged Mountain Ski Patrol, a group of volunteer skiers who help keep the Camden Snow Bowl safe, fun and accessible, thanks the community and its businesses for helping to raise money for important patrol investments.  We especially are grateful to Robert Morgan, of Flatbread Pizza, for providing the venue, as well as Camden Snow Bowl Manager Beth Ward, Andrew Dailey and Brian Kelly at Sidecountry Sports, Sam Appleton at Waterfront Restaurant, Mark Senders, at the Bagel Cafe, and Jeff Boggs at Maine Sport Outfitters for generously donating raffle items. The Jan. 22 pizza dinner fundraiser raised more than $1,000, with the proceeds going toward paying National Ski Patrol dues, ski and binding checks, Lids for Kids (an effort to get helmets on the heads of young skiers) and other expenses. The 43-member ski patrol is on duty at the Snow Bowl throughout the winter, helping skiers who suffer minor inconveniences, as well as major injuries. Patrollers assist and transport skiers, boarders, or whoever may be in distress from all ski trails on Ragged Mountain, in any conditions, back to the lodge.  Patrollers are also on duty throughout spring, summer and fall, when off-season events, such as outdoor running challenges and leaf-peeping chairlift rides, are underway at the Snow Bowl. And if the lifts ever stop running, the patrol is nearby to help passengers evacuate. While the patrollers pick up the cost of their own training, and devote many hours to keeping their outdoor medical care and rescue skills honed, there is not a lot of money for other expenses. Add to this time spent prepping for, and attending, Outdoor Emergency Care refresher courses and hosting refreshers for patrollers from other mountains, paying for CPR courses, and costs associated lift evacuation training — well, there’s a lot that the volunteer-driven Ragged Mountain Ski Patrol funds! Thank you, Midcoast citizens, for contributing to our ongoing efforts. We hope to see you at Ragged Mountain, enjoying all that the beautiful outdoors in our community has to offer.“You fall, we happily pick you up!”  — Duncan Matlack, of Camden, is the Ragged Mountain Ski Patrol director