I.C.E. Fest brings in more than $16,500 for local children
“There were so many people who came out and just wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” - Chuck Zwilling
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The Sunny Zwilling Memorial I.C.E. Fest had quite a bit working against it in 2021. Not only did it go on in the midst of a global pandemic, it also happened to fall on one of the coldest weekends Minnesota has seen in decades.
Exceeding the event’s previous record of $16,500, The amount raised was due in large part to the 70-plus sponsors that supported the event, 90% of which came from the Little Falls area. That made up for the fact that windchills of 20-degrees below zero resulted in a relatively low turnout both Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13 - 14, compared to the last couple of years.
In the past, the organization had also sold raffle tickets at local high school athletics events. That also didn’t happen in 2021, either, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Of the 19 displays and activities planned for the weekend, 16 braved the cold. “Those guys were troopers,” Zwilling said.
Perhaps the most popular attraction of the weekend, however, was one Zwilling didn’t even know was happening. Jake Heffron of Lakes Area Aviation, along with Wyatt Bieber and Adam Roering, were on hand to give plane rides. They were able to do so this year because airspace is closed due to Camp Ripley’s tower being closed.
Zwilling said he was surprised to see what he thought was a road plowed onto the surface of the ice. It turned out, what he was actually seeing was a runway.
“It was the biggest hit of the weekend,” Zwilling said. “At one point I looked at somebody and said, ‘Where is everybody? There’s nobody here.’ They were all waiting in line for an airplane ride. People were in line for over an hour.”
The ice carousel did end up being the largest Zwilling and his crew has ever created. The disc was 820 feet across and weighed 50 million pounds. Just for the canal around the disc, nearly a half-mile of ice weighing approximately 205,000 pounds was cut.
All of that was done in just two hours with a pair of two snowblowers modified with chainsaws on the bottom.
In all, the carousel ended up turning 70 feet before it got bound up. The extreme cold temperatures meant stopping even briefly allowed the canal to re-freeze.
Although the carousel didn’t make a full revolution, It was still without a doubt a successful weekend.
“It’s a little bit like that first year when we didn’t make a full rotation,” he said. “People said it failed. Well, I hardly think it was a failure when we still made $4,500 for local kids. This year, it was 40-times bigger than that first year and we quadrupled that money. Plus, we had a whole bunch of activities. I would definitely say it was a success.”HometownSource: 2021 Photo Array | Pinterest Also has more from this years event.
1/9 - Shawn Doroff, 10, and Dezeray Doroff, 5, of Little Falls, play on a mound of snow during I.C.E. Fest Saturday afternoon. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
2/9 - The I.C.E. Fest crew works to keep the water surrounding Chuck Zwilling's ice carousel from re-freezing Saturday afternoon. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
3/9 - Shawn Ecklund of Rice tries his hand at curling during I.C.E. Fest. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
4/9 - Brayden Isder, 13, Bowlus, warms his hands over one of the fire pits. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
5/9 - Santa Claus was riding in style after making the long trip to I.C.E. Fest from the North Pole. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
6/9 - Sled dogs were excited to give everyone a ride around Green Prairie Fish Lake Saturday. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
7/9 - A hot air balloon, without the balloon, provided an extra source of heat.
8/9 - The warming tent was a popular place because of the sub-zero temperatures. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
9/9 - I.C.E. Fest attendees had a chance to make their own ice carousel. -Record photo by Zach Hacker
You might also like reading ... I.C.E Fest back to provide winter fun for all It’s time for another spin around the lake. Published Friday, February 26, 2021
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