‘ Frosty Fest’ raises $ 10K for Milford non- profit
MILFORD — Those who visit the city Green any time through the end of the month will see hundreds of decorated plastic snowmen on display.
Santa, Yoda, Mickey Mouse, a construction worker and a king are just some of the decorated snowmen themes.
“People have been creative. There are no two decorated alike and the artists’ abilities also vary widely,” said Milford Prevention Council’s Executive Director Wendy Gibbons about the creations for the council’s first Frosty Fest fundraiser. The council is a 10- year- old nonprofit organization with a focus on reducing underage drinking and substance use. It is funded primarily through federal grants, the local United Way, donations and fundraisers.
Frosty Fest sold out its allotment of 300 snowmen, generating nearly $ 10,000, according to Gibbons. The 3- foot tall plastic snowmen were delivered to local residents and businesses , decorated, then returned for placement on the Green. Aside from local families, close to 100 businesses participated.
“It was our biggest fundraiser to date,” Gibbons said, adding that the council plans to make it an annual event.
“We were able to create a socially distant, COVID- friendly activity for families to do,” said Gibbons. “Given this pandemic, it’s very difficult for nonprofits to raise money and they really have think creatively and outside the box — and it’s tough.”
In addition to raising funds for the council, Frosty Fest’s secondary goal is to cheer people up during what for many has been a rough year. As a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic, many in- person events have been canceled, such as the annual Milford tree lighting.
“We felt that the tree lighting is so iconic here in Milford, and we knew that that wasn’t going to happen this year,” she said. “We were brainstorming what we could to do bring something down to the Green that was socially distant, that families could participate in.”
While it has been wonderful to raise the money for the council, seeing and hearing children laughing as they try to find their snowman on the Green has been even better, she said. Families coming to the Green to find their snowman has also helped achieve another of Frosty Fest’s goals — drawing people to downtown businesses.
“They can come to the Green to see the snowmen and then, while they are here, go shopping,” she said. “Help our local businesses that are struggling right now, and shop local for the holidays.”
Frosty Fest is helping to fund several programs that council is working with other local nonprofits to help young people develop resiliency to get through the pandemic, Gibbons said.
“Coming out of this pandemic, it has been difficult to provide education around substance abuse prevention to our youth,” Gibbons said. “Our concerns are around the increase of substance abuse and our youth mental health is really important.”
One of those programs is its annual freshman youth forum, a 20- minute video series designed to educate families on the negative influences of illegal substances and the importance of mental health awareness in young people.
“One of the presentations this year focused on resiliency and how to bounce back from this difficult time,” Gibbons said. “It’s usually a live event but was held virtually this year due to the pandemic.”
The series runs from November through January and is open to every freshman and their parent at Jonathan Law and Joseph A. Foran high schools.
Additionally, she said the community should be mindful that the pandemic has brought with it an increase in home deliveries — including deliveries of alcohol. With contactless deliveries, the packages are frequently left on people’s porches.
“How do you do know who is picking them up?” Gibbons said.
To keep these deliveries from being picked up by youths, the council has created an awareness campaign called # mention-prevention. When deliverers come to the door, they should make sure that the recipient shows them proper identification, even if it’s through the window.
This simple act can help keep youths safe, and have long- term benefits for the community, she said.
“My passion has always been about keeping young people safe from substance abuse — making sure they can navigate their lives in a positive and healthy way so they can be healthy adults,” Gibbons said.