NEWS RELEASE

WINTERFEST 2001

The Police Athletic League of Buffalo, the Winterfest event producer, in partnership with the City of Buffalo and County of Erie Parks and Recreation Departments, will sponsor 5 weekends of WINTERFEST activities in Western New York.

Winterfest prelude activities begin as follows:

January 20 & 21, Akron Falls Park
January 27 & 28, Sprague Brook Park
February 3 & 4, Como Lake Park
February 10 & 11, Chestnut Ridge Park
culminating on
February 16th thru 19th , Delaware Park

Western New York will be invited to celebrate our region's assets- "our Parks, our People and our Winters". The four prelude weekends will provide WNY with a taste of traditional outdoor and indoor activities leading up to Winterfest in Delaware Park.

Fireworks, hayrides, and children's activities will highlight this celebration at each one of the sites. Also included will be activities that have been held in previous years, such as, ice skating, sledding (weather permitting), senior activities, softball, dog sled demonstrations, ice sculpting, underwater rescue, music and refreshments plus much more.

The 7th annual Winterfest in Delaware Park will open on Friday, February 16th with a cocktail party and spectacular fireworks over Hoyt Lake.

The four County sites are approximately 30 to 40 minutes from Delaware Park

This 5 weekend extravaganza will highlight activities for young and old, from suburbia and the city, which will include fireworks, hayrides, children's activities, food and refreshments and is affordable for all.

Winterfest is a go - snow or no snow , its affordable, its organized, family-oriented fun.

Seven years ago the goal of Winterfest was to make this a tourist attraction;
an event that would generate tourism and welcome visitors from all of our surrounding areas. -become a yearly event.

This year our goal is to reach out to towns like East Aurora, Colden, Springville, Medina, Lockport, Colden, Wilson, Elma, and extend an invitation to visit our beautiful Delaware Park and encourage our Buffalo residents to visit our beautiful County Parks.

Extend an invitation to our northern Canadian friends to take part in what we have to offer.

Last Year Delaware Park was host to some 150,000 people over the 4 day event.
This year will be better-- anticipating over a quarter million people taking part over the 5 weekends.

Lawrence Jasinski-- County Commissioner of Parks
Nicholas Page-Deputy County Commissioner of Parks
Andy Sedita-Deputy County Commissioner of
Recreation

Joseph Giambra-Commissioner of Public Works,
Parks and Streets
Daniel T. Durawa, Deputy Commissioner, Division of
Parks and Recreation
James Nowicki, Assistant to the Deputy
Susan M. Gonzalez, Director of Recreation and
Executive Director of Police Athletic League of
Buffalo (The event producer)
Need to thank Wegmans who has been a title sponsor for the last three years Wegmans represented by Ann McCarthy, Consumer Affairs Manager and

Need to thank Darryl Greene, General Manager representing Channel 2 Buffalo News, National Fuel Try-It, Coca-Cola among others who have sponsored events during numerous times over the last 7 years.

Call (716) 851-5806 for more information and to explore sponsorship opportunities.