Aspiring Avalanche Dogs are celebrating ten years in operation.

Based at Treble Cone Ski Area, the Aspiring Avalanche Dogs is a non-profit organisation and registered charity that provides support and succession for four avalanche dog teams.

The highly trained dog teams are all volunteer members of NZLandSAR Dogs and can be rapidly deployed around the clock to help locate skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers unlucky enough to be caught in an avalanche in the Southern Lakes region and beyond.

The sold-out tenth birthday celebrations will take place at b.social, the Anderson Heights bar, restaurant, and brewery, tonight Saturday (June 27) from 6pm.

Aspiring Avalanche Dogs chairman and founder Matt Gunn said he is chuffed to have reached the decade milestone.

“We are delighted and proud to be able to have this significant event at b.social and the support James and Matt have given us is huge,” he said.

The opening of b.effect brewery on Anderson Road. PHOTO: Ray Tiddy

b.social co-owner James Hay and business partner Matt Lamming are avid skiers who spend time touring in the mountains around Wanaka, making the Aspiring Avalanche Dogs a charity they can identify with.

“We’ve had a lot to do with them over the years and have done avalanche courses with them. It’s a service in our community that is really important and when we heard they had a shortfall in funding, we said we’d love to help out,” James says.

James says the event was originally planned while New Zealand was still in alert level three.

“We have been working on this for a while and at the time of its release, we were complying with the restrictions, which is why it is ticketed for seating 100. It shows the level of community support that we’ve sold out and we are happy that we will be able to hand over a $,2000 cheque to the Aspiring Avalanche Dogs crew on the night.”

James, Matt, and Anna Lamming also own Urban Grind and the Lake Hāwea Hotel, under the umbrella brand Dropping Inn. Saturday’s fundraiser will be the first of several community-supporting events and activities they plan to roll out over the coming months.

b.social has also assisted the Wanaka LandSAR team and the Coastguard Wanaka Lakes.

“The people that come into b.social are skiers, they are going into the mountains and they are using the lake. We support the charities that look out for our locals,” James said.

The Aspiring Avalanche Dogs event will feature DJs and many spot prizes, donated by SkippersMate, Amigos Wānaka, Amisfield Winery & Bistro, Mons Royale and more, in addition to a season pass for Cardrona/Treble Cone and another for the Snow Farm.