Indoor Beach Party full of fun and prizes by Lorraine Glowczak

Lilly Steel having fun

Although the sub-zero temperatures kept most people home on Saturday evening, January 6, it didn’t prevent the 50 or so individuals who joined in on the fun at the Indoor Beach Party at the Windham Middle School for this year’s Winterfest 2018.
 

The event, hosted collaboratively by the Windham Parks and Recreation Department and the Windham PTA, consisted of free beach grub as well as enjoyable entertainment provided by Flamin’ Raymin’ and Sizzlin’ Suzzin’.

The evening also consisted of a multitude of giveaways. The following is a list of individuals and the gifts they won from the participating organizations:

2 One-Day Passes to Evo Rock & Fitness	Mary Jane Goodell
2 Tickets to a Windham Center Stage Theater Production	Heidi (last name not given)
Picnic Basket of Local Gift Cards	Dominic Cataldi
$25 Gift Card to Subway Restaurants	Brian Butler, Hayleigh Moody
$50 Gift Card to Buck’s Naked BBQ	Liza Libby
2 Tickets to a Maine Red Claws game	Ronan Mace
2 One Hour Jump Passes to Get Air	Brock York, Bella (last name not given)
2 Day Passes to Kahuna Laguna Indoor Water Park	Gavin (last name not given)
2 Day/Night Passes to Shawnee Peak	Matt (last name not given)
$120 towards an exam at Moore Chiropractic & Wellness Center	Heidi (last name not given)
2 Free Race Passes at Maine Indoor Karting	Cassie Fleek
Professional Take Home Whitening Kit from Armstrong Advanced Dental	Megan York
2 Public Skating Punch Cards from Family Ice Center	Bria Mills
Small Angle Grinder from Lowe’s	Waylon McDonald
$50 Gift Card to Rustler’s Steak House	Brayden Bean
2 Free Admissions to Happy Wheels Skate Center	Corey McDonald, Lilly Steel, Abby Patenaude

The evening also included a Winterfest Photo Contest that officially opened on Saturday evening. Entries are accepted through Wednesday, January 31. 

Requirements for the photos: They should be taken from January 2017 until the current day, they must be originals, and they must have been taken in Maine. The Parks and Recreation Department is looking for photos that capture the fun and beauty of winter in Maine, which could include photos of friends and family, children or pets frolicking in the snow, or stunning scenery. There is no fee to enter, and prizes will be awarded to the top photographs as chosen by our judges. Prizes include passes for snow tubing and cross-country skiing, tickets to a WCST production, and other activities that will help families enjoy these winter months.

Information regarding contest guidelines and how to enter can be found on the Parks and Recreation website at www.windhamrecreation.com.

Winterfest's first year low on winter, high on spirit - By Michelle Libby

Last Saturday, Windham Parks and Recreation and Windham PTA worked together to put on a Winterfest celebration that would mesh with the Sebago Lake Fishing Derby, however, when the derby was cancelled expected attendance dropped, but that didn’t stop the people who came from having fun. 

“It was a slow start and as the day went on more people came. It was a little lower attendance with the confusion around the canceling of the derby,” said parks and rec director Linda Brooks. “By the evening, we had a lot of visitors.”

The event was held at two venues, Donnabeth Lippman Park and the Windham Veterans Center, with shuttle service between the two. 

“A lot of people learned about Lippman Park,” said Brooks. “They didn’t know it was there.”

Skating at the park was a big hit. Youth played hockey and some families skated, said Brooks. Many of the activities were more akin to a springfest, but the bounce houses, hidden candy on the story walk and hula hooping with Flamin’ Raymond and Sizzlin’ Susan gave everyone a chance to practice their spring and summer fun skills. 

The indoor venue at the Windham Veterans Center gave people the opportunity to get out of the cold and warm up with free food and treats. The Windham PTA held a crockpot cookoff, and served hotdogs and popcorn. Guests sampled the food and voted for which dish was their favorite. The third place was a tie between Sarah Simagna’s meatballs and Julie Frost’s Taco Soup, second place went to Melissa Oldakowski’s sweet and sour meatballs and first place went to Ernesta Kennedy for her BBQ Beans. 

 

Pat’s Pizza donated a soup to the crockpot competition and 25 other businesses donated prizes for the winners and as door prizes. The Windham Veterans Association donated the building to the cause.

“It was great because we had such a response from our community,” said Wotton. 

In the past the PTA held a winter type event at Manchester School, but it had not happened for the last few years. When they heard about this event, the PTA couldn’t wait to partner with Windham Parks and Recreation. The PTA took over the organizing of the warming space in the Veterans center.

Wotton, president of the PTA in Windham, involved Cub Scout Pack 805, who set up a Pinewood Derby track and let the children build Lego cars to race. 

Leanna, 7, and Bryce, 4 1/2 , Rogers build race cars out of Legos to run down the Pinewood Derby track.

“It’s been a successful first year. We wanted to start simple so we would be successful,” said Wotton. “Next year it will hopefully be bigger.”

Thank you to the sponsors including Maine Optometry

Next year’s plans are already underway, with the possibility of a shortened day and expanded community involvement. “Lippman Park is a great opportunity for winter activities like cross country skiing, skating and snowshoeing,” said Brooks. She anticipates that the locations will stay the same. 

A Campfire.

“On the whole it was something to grow on. People were generally very pleased,” Brooks said.