Lights on the River has turned out the Lights for the final time for 2012 and we would like to thank everyone who helped make those lights shine so bright this season. Thanks to the following businesses, organizations, families and friends as well as each and every car that drove through Lisbon Beach and Campground to see the displays, Lights on the River was able to donate $16,200 to eight local food pantries and two backpack programs as well as donate over 3,700 pounds of non perishable food items.

To all of our display entries, if it wasn’t for you building and braving the cold and snow we wouldn’t have an event, so a huge thank you goes out to; Lisbon and Rensselaer Falls United Helpers/ICF, The Lisbon 89ers, North Pole Satellite Office, Source Capital Group, Inc-Todd McKee, Q Country 102.9, 96.7 YES-FM, PAC 98.7, Off the Hook Bed & Breakfast, NorthCountryNow.com, St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union, , Jules of Life Foundation, Salvation Army, Julie’s Dance Studio, Reintree Stables, Hand to Hand, NYSARC, Northern NY Newspapers, Ogdensburg Command Performances, The Dirty Gringo, The King, Hall and Hooper Families, PJ’s for Xmas, Mandaville Camp and Retreat Center, Pepsi Cola Bottlers, Blevins Brothers, Lisbon Wesleyan Church Young Adults, Ogdensburg Walmart, Ss Philip & James Church, Parkway Polaris, Macs Roadside Stand, LP Thompson Insurance Agency Ltd, The Joanette Family, Seaway Smokehouse and Diner, Grace Presbyterian, Stevens Media Group (Massena), SMDA, Small Fry Academy, Clear Pond Hunting Club, First Congregational Church of Lisbon, Bishop General Construction, Frazer Computing, Community Bank, Senior/Ambassador Girl Scout Troop 50200 of Heuvelton, Cub Scouts Pack 2 (Lisbon), Cub Scouts (Heuvelton), Potsdam BOCES-Mr David Smith’s Class, Community Broadcasters (Ogdensburg), The Brander Family Generations, Lisbon Lion’s Club, JDRF The Curiers, Salon 1020, St. Lawrence County Reality Check, Linda Backus, Hepburn Library of Lisbon, Stepping Stones Children Therapy, Odd Fellows-Seaway Lodge #41, Gary and Aileen’s, Lisbon Post Office, First Presbyterian Church (Ogdensburg), Lisbon National Honor Society, United Church of Madrid, LCS Alternative Energy Class, Ray Burns & Son’s Trucking, Ogdensburg Correctional Facility-Make a Difference Day, DeFelsko Corporation, Miller’s Swap Shop and Henry and Geryl-Jo Wilhelm. Thank you everyone for bringing your Light to help make this event shine!

Without our sponsors and their generosity and support, we could not have made this happen. Thank you to, Ogdensburg Kiwanis Club, N.Y.S.C.O.P.B.A, Fidelis Care, Ogdensburg Elk’s Lodge # 772, TML Graphic & Sign Co., Steven’s Media Group (Ogdensburg), Steven’s Media Group(Massena), Northern NY Papers, NorthCountryNow.com, Hire A Web Geek, Community Broadcasters (Ogdensburg), Impression Studios, Blevins Brother’s of Ogdensburg, Walmart, St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union, Meredith Hollis, Ogdensburg Pizza Hut-Tip Night, Source Capital Group, Inc., Lisbon PTSA, North Country Savings Bank, Potter Industries, Seacomm, Impression Studios, Sons of the American Legion-Lisbon, Off the Hook Bed & Breakfast, LP Thompson Insurance Agency Ltd, Ogdensburg Correctional Facility-Make a Difference Day, Akins Construction, Smith Electric, Pinto Mucenski Hooper VanHouse & Co. CPA-PC, Ogdensburg Knights of Columbus, David Valois, Julie’s Dance Studio, Mark and Janet Brouillette-in memory of Jack Gray, Frazer Computing, AJ Septic, Ann Winters Mary Kay Products Consultation, Border Crossing Kennels, Bruyere Chadwick Realty, Collins Hammond Electric, Corning, Johnston’s H2O Zone LLC, Rusty Darcy, Chris and Becky O’Brian, Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, Save A Lot, Wilder Forsythe Insurance, Winters Milk Haulers/Ronald Winters & Sons, Young Explosives, Fred and Anita Morrill, Pat & Jean McGuire, Jim Valois-in honor of Dave Valois, Pepsi Cola Ogdensburg Bottlers, CHMC Auxiliary/Festival of the Trees, Lowe’s of Ogdensburg, Willard &Son’s, NorthCountryNow.com, Community Bank, Odd Fellows Seaway Lodge #41, NAPA Auto Parts/Gillies, Austin Layng Inc, Bickford Studios, Dillingham Jones and Cissel, Inc., Knot Just Donutz, Latham Auto, Morgan’s Auto, Mort Backus & Sons, Never Tire Farm, Deb Piercey, River Rat Designs, Seaway Smokehouse and Diner, Grace Presbyterian Church, COPE Consultants, Moss Ridge Stable, Paul J. Boyer Realty, Regan’s Auto, Jacob’s Surveying, Teresa Fisher, Jackie LaBrake, and Tractor Supply of Ogdensburg.

We would also like to extend a special thanks to those that volunteered behind the scenes, those that braved the wind, rain, snow, and cold and were there to lend a gracious hand without question. Since none of this would be possible without a place to hold the event, we would like to thank the Town of Lisbon and Mike O’Neil for all their help in making our event possible. We would also Tim Dow and the Highway Dept. for keeping the roads clear and the beach accessible for vehicles to safely view the event. We are appreciative for your willingness to help us make the event what it has become. A Big Thank you goes out to our Santa and Mrs, Claus; Mike and Coletta Richardson, our opening night Elf; Suzzan Conklin, Lisbon Lion’s Club volunteers, Chera Davison & Family, Scott Lawton, Sara Sloan, Sara and Ryan Polniak, All our Carolers and Live Nativity Volunteers and our Lisbon National Honor Society Students and their Advisor Rebecca Buckingham.
Thank you to all of you for helping to make the Light shine a little brighter for so many in need this season.

Happy New Year!

With Sincere Thanks,

The Lights on the River Inc. Team
Scott Wilhelm, Amy Fortin, Stephanie Wilhelm, Dicky Marcellus, Colleen Anderson, Hank Wilhelm, David Smith, Jeff Buckingham, Mike McDonell

The lights may be out on the 3rd Annual Lights on the River, but the magic still shines bright with this year’s food pantry donations. Lights on the River was able to donate $16,200 to the 8 food pantries & 2 backpack programs this year, which is $200 short of has been donated the first 2 years combined. In addition to the monetary donations, there was also approximately 3700 pounds of food that was also distributed to the food pantries.

This year there were 8 food pantries that received donations: Lisbon Food Pantry, Ogdensburg Neighborhood Center, Ogdensburg Salvation Army, Canton Neighborhood Center, Canton Church & Family Program, Heuvelton Food Pantry, Waddington Family Resource Center and Hammond Food Pantry. Also receiving donations were the Lisbon & Madill Backpack Programs. The Food Pantry in Madrid declined assistance this year as they felt they did not need the help as much as some of the other food pantries.

“None of this could be done without the support of the Lisbon community and all the other surrounding communities. From the displays in the event, the sponsors who help make it happen, to the thousands of visitors from communities in St. Lawrence County, Southern Ontario & everyone else who came to see the lights.” said Scott Wilhelm, Lights on the River President. “Year after year for three years now I’ve been absolutely amazed at the generosity the community shows for those in need in their community.” Amy Fortin, Vice President, added.

This year’s event attracted an estimated 15,000 people from Northern New York & Southern Ontario. Also, those visiting from out of the area, and visitors who decided to stop in to see what all the lights were when they either saw the lights from the road or across the river from the Canadian side.

This year was a phenomenal success again, and could not have been accomplished without everyone in the community. The Lights on the River committee appreciates all the support that has been provided from all the communities who made this happen.

Hello Everyone!

Attached is this year’s display lineup.  In it you will see the site & power box number next to it.  Your site will be marked on stakes along the route and the power box number will be marked on the power boxes set back.  These are not the same numbers.  Please be careful to setup at the right site.  Please do not setup on neighboring displays.  If you can, please keep a few feet of space along the borders of your site.

Power boxes #9 & #11 do not have a number on them.  And power box #13 is set further back.  Power boxes that are TBD will need outlets created for each of them.  You will find these outlets near your sites on stakes.  If you need help finding your power source, please check for a Lights on the River volunteer at the trailer at the entrance to the campgrounds.

PLEASE CONTACT US WITH A SETUP TIME.  We will have all sites marked so they will be easy to find.  But, we’d like to be sure to know when to expect you.  Call or email us at the numbers/email address listed in the lineup so that we can make sure that you’re setup in time for the event. Below are important dates:

SETUP DAYS:  December 8th-15th (until 2pm on the 15th)
EVENT DAYS:  December 15th-23rd
CLEANUP DAYS:  December 24th-31st

During the event, we may need to contact you regarding any issues or repairs for your display.  Please be sure we have a number that we can reach you at.  If you have given us your daytime work number, please let us know if you have a cell number that you or someone else could be available at.

Thank you all for being part of our event this year.  Many of you are returning for your second or third year with us.  This year we have 78 displays currently, which is absolutely phenomenal!  We have more than tripled from our first year, and without friends, families, organizations & businesses like yours, we couldn’t create an event that would help so many people in our communities.  So, thank you for all your time & effort that you have put into your displays.  We cannot wait to see how beautiful they all are.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call us.  You can reach us at either Hank (323-0201) or Scott (854-2657), or email at info@lightsontheriver.org.

Take care & Merry Christmas!!!

Sincerely,

Scott

Although, due to this growth, Lights on the River will be setting this Saturday, December 1st, as the deadline to register for a display in this year’s event. “We are starting to run short on space, and rather than shrink the display areas too small, we want to be sure each display has enough room to stand out and not blend into the next display.” said Stephanie Wilhelm, Lights on the River board member. If you would like to put a display into this year’s event, please contact Scott at 854-2657 or scott@lightsontheriver.org, or Stephanie at 393-1796 or steph@lightsontheriver.org.

This year’s event will benefit local St. Lawrence County food pantries including Canton Church & Community Program, Canton Neighborhood Center, Hammond Neighborhood Center, Heuvelton Food Pantry, Lisbon Food Pantry, Madrid’s Christian Fellowship Center – Alms of Love Pantry, Ogdensburg Neighborhood Center, Ogdensburg Salvation Army and the Waddington Family Resource Center.

If you would like to be a part of this year’s Lights on the River event, please contact Scott at 854-2657, Stephanie at 393-1796 or Amy at 528-5660. You can also find more information at their website at http://www.LightsOnTheRiver.org or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lightsontheriver.

Lights on the River, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to help local food pantries. With the community’s support, Lights on the River has become such a great event for friends & families throughout the area to enjoy.

Thank you to Joe Spriggs, Jerry Reed, Tim Richards, Rob Messina, Karen Madill, Connie Neuroth and Tim Spriggs of the Ogdensburg Elks Lodge; we all had a great time working with such a great team! We would also like to thank all our hardworking volunteers Carol Smith, Colin Smith, Becky Buckingham, Beth Carbone, Beth Crowley, Emily Dawley, Leanne Dawley and Jackie Sovie. Thank you for being so willing to jump right in with a smile and lend a hand wherever needed.

To the businesses that donated supplies for our dinner: Ogdensburg Elks Lodge, Ogdensburg Save A-Lot, Willard & Sons, Knot Just Donutz & More Bakery and Sysco. Thank you to Q Country 102.9, 96.7 YES-FM and PAC 98.7 for promoting our dinner. Thank you to Rhonda Roethel and the entire Lions Club for cross promoting our event with their Annual Light Up The Night Parade. And last but certainly not least, thank you to each and every person who purchased a dinner.

The support from everyone listed above is what made our dinner such a success.

Sincerest Thanks,

Lights on the River Inc.
Scott Wilhelm, Amy Fortin, Colleen Anderson, Stephanie Wilhelm, Dicky Marcellus, David Smith, Jeff Buckingham, Henry Wilhelm & Mike McDonell

This year’s community choice winners will still include a commemorative plaque, but each winner will also go home with a $50 check to reward them for a job well done.  “We know that these families, organizations & businesses spend their own hard-earned dollars to help us create something magical; so our committee wanted to not only recognize them for doing such an awesome job, but also say thank you for putting their own resources into their displays”, added Scott Wilhelm, Lights on the River President.

Another change this year, the public will be able to vote.  The previous 2 years, volunteers from the community have taken their time to go through the displays thoroughly & submit their votes to decide on the community choice awards.  This year there will still be volunteers selected from the community & food pantries to help judge the displays, but the community will also be invited to visit the event, and then go to our website where they will be able to vote on their favorite display.

Past winner Emily DeRouchie-McMahon said, “Our displays have truly been a family effort with each of us contributing our own special touches and even including pieces that are in memory of those family members no longer with us.  Lights on the River has become a tradition in our family and the whole event is magical. Although it is not about ‘winning’ it’s become our goal to create a display that out does the previous years.”

At the inaugural event in 2010, the community choice award went to Emily DeRouchie-McMahon and family.  Then at the 2011 event, the community choice award winners were Ogdensburg Pepsi in the commercial division; Potsdam BOCES students in the non-profit division; and a repeat performance by Emily DeRouchie-McMahon and family in the family & friends division.

If you would like to be a part of this year’s Lights on the River event, please contact Scott at 854-2657, Stephanie at 393-1796 or Amy at 528-5660.  You can also find more information at their website at http://www.LightsOnTheRiver.org or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lightsontheriver.

Lights on the River, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to help local food pantries.  With the community’s support, Lights on the River has become such a great event for friends & families throughout the area to enjoy.

North Country Savings Bank has supported Lights on the River since 2011, and will continue this year as a Silver sponsor.  Left to right Lisa Woodward, Christy Lust, Amy Fortin (Lights on the River Vice President), Mindy McNamara, Amanda Johnson and June Fernandez.

Lights on the River Collectible Ornaments On Sale!

This holiday season, there’s a new must have collectible.  Lights on the River, Inc. has released a new collectible ornament to commemorate their 3rd annual Lights on the River event.  These ornaments will be a beautiful addition to your tree this year.  The ornaments are available for purchase at our 2012 Ornament page for $10 each.

Lights on the River, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to help local food pantries.  With the community’s support, Lights on the River has become such a great event for friends & families throughout the area to enjoy.

Pre-sale tickets are available at the Ogdensburg Elks Club or through any of the Lights on the River members.  You can contact Lights on the River by calling Scott at 854-2657 or Stephanie at 393-1796.

The dinner will be on the same night as the Lions Club’s Light Up The Night Parade, so parade goers can enjoy a hot meal before or after the parade.

Lights on the River, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to help local food pantries.  With the community’s support, Lights on the River has become such a great event for friends & families throughout the area to enjoy.

This year’s list of local food pantries that Lights on the River is looking to help are:

• Canton Church & Community Program
• Canton Neighborhood Center
• Hammond Neighborhood Center
• Heuvelton Food Pantry
• Lisbon Food Pantry
• Madrid’s Christian Fellowship Center – Alms of Love Pantry
• Ogdensburg Neighborhood Center
• Ogdensburg Salvation Army
• Waddington Neighborhood Center

The 3rd annual Lights on the River, sponsored in part by Ogdensburg Kiwanis, will take place from Saturday, December 15th through Sunday, December 23rd. It’s a free drive through event that attracts thousands from Northern New York & Southeastern Ontario, as well as those visiting the area for the holidays.

Lights on the River, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to help local food pantries. With the community’s support, Lights on the River has become such a great event for friends & families throughout the area to enjoy.

Lights on the River is currently looking for sponsors & displays to help make this year’s event even bigger. If you’re interested in being part of this year’s event, you can contact Scott at 854-2657 or Stephanie at 393-1796. You can also find their website at http://www.LightsOnTheRiver.org or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lightsontheriver.org.