The 12th Goshen Meltdown has come to its watery end, making this year a record-breaker for the annual charitable contest.
Organizer Bob Labrie said that the 69-pound meltdown block dropped through the ice at 12:58 a.m. March 12, a week earlier than previous record of March 19 in 2012.
The Meltdown has been a popular event in the Hilltowns, raising money for a variety of organizations and people in need. Money is raised through the sale of $1 tickets in which people guess the date and time a cement block will break through the melting ice on Hammond Pond.
Labrie said he sold a total of 850 tickets and also received donations of $100.
This year’s ticket proceeds will be evenly divided between the Goshen Cultural Council and the contest winner, who at this point, remains unknown.
“I don’t know who won yet because 500 of those tickets came in last week,” Labrie said, noting that he is still recording all of the ticket information.
This year, the warm winter seems to have caught people off guard, as many simply waited too long to submit their guesses.
Labrie said that ticket sales were low this year, as the average number of tickets sold for the Meltdown is 1,750.
Still, while sales were down, the spirit of giving was high.
Labrie said that he is “humbled by the number of people who make additional donations to support the cause.”
“Many people will send me five tickets and $10 or 10 tickets and $20,” he said. “Those individuals add up and make a difference.”
For those who wanted to participate but missed the opportunity, Labrie said he is still collecting donations for the Cultural Council until April 1 so it is not too late to make a contribution.
At present, the Cultural Council will receive about $400 from the event.
Kathy Boisvert, president of the Goshen Cultural Council, said that she is overjoyed that the council was selected as this year’s beneficiary of half the Meltdown proceeds.
“Oh my gracious we are so happy about this. The Goshen Cultural Council is so pleased and grateful to Mr. Labrie,” Boisvert said. “We let the Mass Cultural Council in Boston know right away, and they were just thrilled that the town would do something as generous this.”
Boisvert and the Cultural Council members are now trying to decide how best to use the donation. They hope to hear from residents about what kind of workshops, presentations and activities that they would like to have in town.
“We really want to use it for something that would benefit the town – something that everyone could enjoy,” Boisvert said.
Though proceeds from the contest were down this year, Labrie said he is happy to be able to contribute to giving in the community.
“At the end of the day, if I can make a difference with this contest, we all win,” Labrie said.
Parenting is never easy, and when you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend raising a child instead of a parent, things may be a bit more complicated.
Pat Keith of The United Arc in Turners Falls, in collaboration with the Williamsburg Council on Aging and the Hilltown Community Health Centers, offers continuing chat groups to provide support, share information and lend an understanding ear to people who find themselves in this situation.
“By participating in the chat group, we hope that the caregivers will feel heard and supported by others in similar situations, thereby decreasing the isolation and despair they may be experiencing,” Keith said.
The chat groups have been popular in Huntington and Keith hopes to continue and expand that trend.
“By supporting the caregiver, we see increased positive outcomes not only for them but for the children and ultimately the whole family,” Keith said. “This in turn leads to healthier and happier circumstances for all, increased success in school and in community.”
The chat groups are confidential. The next sessions are in Haydenville from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Monday at the Senior Center, 141 Main St., and in Huntington from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Hilltown Family Center, at 9 Russell Road.
More information is available by calling Pat Keith, kinship care resource coordinator, at 563-1981.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Goshen Historical Society will feature “I Wish I Had Asked” a presentation by Ralph Lowen, on creating audio recordings of family stories and histories that can be passed on to future generations.
Lowen specialized in preserving the stories that are “at the greatest risk of being lost,” recording elders and people who have terminal illnesses.
“I am really excited that Ralph Lowen’s “I Wish I Had Asked” program is Goshen Historical Society’s first event of the year, as I think the title alone is something most people can relate to,” said Kristen Estelle, president of the Goshen Historical Society. “We have lost some town elders and wished we had asked them more questions while they were still here.”
Lowen, whose Amherst based nonprofit business is called “I Wish I Had Asked,” has been recording personal histories for five years.
“I will be talking about how to organize stories,” Lowen said. “And about the ways people have structured their stories and how the recordings have been used.”
This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and all ages are welcome.
Suggestions for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.