Lake George community comes together for 9th annual Chilly Willy Day

Dozens of fun-seekers twirled Hula-hoops, dodged colorful rubber balls and danced The Twist on the snow-covered grounds of Battlefield Park this Saturday in Lake George. Lake George Community Comes Together (LGCCT) sponsors this annual event of music, food, games and contests.

Disc Jockey Chas Ginkis served as Master of Ceremonies, interspersing pop music selections with trivia contests, liberally awarding prizes of pizzas and certificates good for a free game of bowling. A musical chairs style cake walk netted the sole seat-holder a cake decorated with a Chilly Willy snowman.

Patricia Dow, an organizer of the event, describes the LGCCT as an informal organization of volunteers that work to provide substance-free activities for Lake George youth. She credits Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan with bringing the idea to Warren County towns in 2003. Dow notes that Hogan, in her capacity as the county’s chief law enforcer, regularly sees the disenfranchised youth of Warren County. Hogan envisioned these organizations in every town to as a way for children to engage with their community.

All age groups were represented in the crowd, toddlers stomping out dance steps alongside adults; teenagers and elementary school children pulling together in the Tug-of-War competition. Attendee John Sikorak, noting the cooperation between the older and younger children, commented that “the high school students are good mentors to the younger students.”

To raise funds for LGCCT activities, the group is selling Chilly Willy buttons, available for $1 at the Elementary and the Junior-Senior High schools and at area businesses. Purchasers of the buttons, designed by Lake George students, receive discounts from a variety of Lake George merchants throughout February.

In addition to Chilly Willy Day, LGCCT organizes the snowman painting activity that produces the colorful plywood snowmen seen throughout the Village during the winter months. In May, the group is planning a Flower Pot on Every Porch project. Students will paint clay pots which will be filled with flowers and delivered to housebound residents.