Families savor boats, treasure at Beach Blast
By BRIAN SLUPSKI - bslupski@nwherald.com
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| Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com
Aubrey Suda, 7, of Crystal Lake attempts a handstand Saturday while she dances to the music from Damn the Torpedoes during Blast on the Beach and Lights on the Lake at Crystal Lake Main Beach. (Lauren M. Anderson ()) |
CRYSTAL LAKE – The children lined up with expectant smiles Saturday, ready to tangle with a mound of sand at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach.
The mound was full of prizes, but it also contained a key. A key to a chest with two tickets to Six Flags Great America and assorted toys. At the front of the line was 6-year-old Max Fuerholzer and his 4-year-old sister, Gretchen, from Lakewood. Their dad, Scott, offered some advice: “Grab what you can, but don’t get greedy. Leave some for the other kids.”
The treasure hunt was part of the Crystal Lake Park District’s Blast on the Beach, the annual festival that is capped by the Lights on the Lake boat parade. The festival is a fundraiser for the Crystal Lake Park Foundation.
“[The festival] is a little different this year; there’s more children’s entertainment,” said Joe Stefani, president of the Crystal Lake Park Foundation. “With the economy, we wanted to provide a family-oriented event that was cost effective.”
Aside from the treasure hunt, there also was a magic show, and the Dave Rudolph Beach Party – a musical act featuring fun activities for children. Among the children enjoying Rudolph was 10-year-old Noah Savitsky of Algonquin, who was with his mother, Sheila Alder. Alder said she moved to Algonquin from Pennsylvania about a year ago.
“It’s very different here. We don’t have park districts in Pennsylvania, so we don’t have this level of activity,” Alder said. “It’s great. There’s no excuse to say that there’s nothing to do. There’s plenty to do here.”
Later in the evening, Mellencougar took the stage as boats took to the water to participate in Lights on the Lake. The festival had an alien theme this year – cardboard interpretations of aliens created by youngsters dotted a fence at Main Beach. The winning alien was created by Audrey’s Junior Camp Team.
At 6 p.m., however, all eyes were on the sand mound that contained the prizes and the key. As the great key quest began, the children were invigorated by the untold possibilities the mound presented. Sand began flying. Bags quickly were filled with key chains, Tootsie Rolls, stuffed animals, and assorted knickknacks.
But no key was found.
One youngster stood up and turned to his father, “We can’t find the key, it’s nowhere.”
Eventually, Park District volunteer Anne Sandor grabbed some frisbees and handed them out as make shift shovels. Some children frantically scrapped at the mound, others simply pushed sand around.
Forty-five minutes into the event, Sandor made an announcement, “I’m going to try something different this year.”
A decision was made: It was time for a raffle.
