BUFFALO, N.Y. — Darren Cotton is the president and a volunteer at non-profit The Tool Library in Buffalo. The organization’s mission is to remove costs as a barrier for tools by lending them.

Cotton says they believe everyone should be able to enjoy all four seasons in Buffalo, and right now their focus is the winter.

“It is a really wonderful season. I love it. I think if you love Buffalo, you kind of have to love it. The goal here is to make winter an accessible season for everyone," Cotton said.

​The organization aims to engage the community in its surrounding spaces throughout the year, whether it be bike rides and walks, in the winter, it’s a little tougher. To make their goal a reality, The Tool Library started a Little Free Sled Library in Shoshone Park.

“So as a way to activate this space, we had seen people were already sort of using this hill for sledding so again just to put something here to make it a little bit easier for everyone to be able to enjoy," Cotton said.

You might have guessed it from its name, but the sleds are free to use. Cotton says that’s another way to fulfill The Tool Library’s mission to remove costs as a barrier. 

“For some people $25, $30 can really be a lot and really stretch a budget," Cotton said.

Cotton says they got the idea for the Little Free Sled Library online. The project was funded by a group called Awesome Buffalo. The library was built at the end of last season, but by the time it was ready, there was no more snow on the ground. They put it in place at the park soon after the first snowfall this winter. Cotton says the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

"It says a lot about the world and the society we can build," said Cotton. "I think that’s sort of mission accomplished. We wouldn’t want to do something that’s not getting used. And that’s really exciting to know that you know from implementation it’s been something that the community has really embraced and used, and hopefully spread to other sledding hills."