Industry News
At a small ski hill in northeastern Massachusetts, one of its most beloved figures is facing the biggest uphill battle of his life. Mike “Big Mike” Privitera, longtime snow sports director at Ski Bradford, is a mentor, leader, and the heart of the mountain’s ski school. Now, after several failed matches, he and his family are urgently searching for a kidney donor—and they’re asking the ski community to help.
A new short film by filmmaker Alex Cole, Looking for a Kidney, Finding a Community, tells Mike’s story with honesty and heart. The video captures Mike’s decades-long impact on the tight-knit Ski Bradford community and the way he’s shaped the lives of instructors and young skiers alike. It also highlights the growing urgency of his health crisis, with doctors warning that time is running out to find a match.
Mike has been on the transplant list for more than three years. After multiple false starts, the Privitera family—along with the team at Ski Bradford—has gone nationwide in the search for a living donor. The community is asking anyone who might be interested to come forward.
Those willing to explore being a potential match can visit www.mghlivingdonors.org and submit an anonymous form including Mike’s name (Michael Privitera) and date of birth (2/25/56). Direct inquiries can also be sent to bigmikekidney@gmail.com.
Ski hills like Bradford may be small in size, but they’re big in heart. And right now, one of their own needs the ski world’s support.
