Event in 50th year

SYRACUSE - This year is a special year for the Wawasee Flotilla as it will celebrate its 45th year. The Flotilla will be held at 6:30 p.m. July 2, with an appropriate theme: "Celebrate our 45th Year."

Participating entries are asked to gather at 6:30 p.m. at Conklin Bay in Lake Wawasee with the parade starting at 6:45 p.m. lead by the 2006 Commodore Jim Tranter.

Participates are encouraged to decorate boat entries as in days gone by instead of with lights, as has been the tradition the last few years. This is due to the change to Eastern Standard Time.

So get out the balloons, start cutting the plywood into creative designs to transform your watercraft into a lighthouse, a jail, a birthday cake, a car, or whatever the imagination brings. All watercraft should be capable of going a minimum of 10 miles per hour.

"As the chairperson of the Wawasee Flotilla, I would like residents to know organizing the Flotilla for the past several years has been fullfilling and fun for everyone involved, but the best years are the years the families, friend, neighborhood associations and businesses around the lake actually decide to enter a float," says Holly Tuttle, chairwoman of the Flotilla.

"Everyone looks forward to the flotilla, but are often disappointed when there are not a lot of entries and always rave when they are. We, the Wawasee Flotilla Committee are asking the community to gather their families, friends and think of a theme to decorate their boat so that this year being the 45th year can be one of the best. With the time change and going back to a day time event hopefully it will be easier for people to come up with ideas and assembly their boats."

Those wanting to be considered for boat prizes are encouraged to preregister by 5 p.m. Friday, June 30, at Future Funding, 813 S. Huntington Street, Syracuse.

Registration forms will be available at various retailers in Syracuse.

Cash prizes will be awarded for first through third place entries. There will also be awards for the prestigious Commodore's Cup, WPOA and DNR Awards. The awards will be presented at Conklin Bay at the conclusion of the Flotilla.

There are T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing the 2006 Flotilla design and logo available at Griffith's Wawasee Marina, Lances NewMarket, and Future Funding. A cruise on the SS LillyPad II is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 13. Jon Kirkwood will provide the musical entertainment with hors dourves. For tickets, $25 each, contact David Johnston, at 457-7111 or 1117nsd@earthlink.net

The funds from the cruise and shirts fund the Flotilla event and prize monies.

The first Wawasee Flotilla Parade was held on Father's Day, June 18, 1961 and was undertaken by the Chamber of Commerce. It received complete and wholehearted cooperation of businessmen and residents of the area, who wanted to show appreciation to summer residents. The idea was that of Gordon "Short" McCormick and the original six members of the committee were Tom Socks, Earl Money, McCormick, Dale Butt, Clem Lisor and Tiny Sole.

The Flotilla Parade began an annual event, marking the opening of the vacation season at Syracuse and Wawasee Lake. It was held on or near Father's Day and called the Father's day Flotilla. In a twist of fate, fire destroyed the Pickwick Block on New Year's Eve 1970 and jeopardized the future of the parade. The Newly organized Jaycees had taken over the sponsorship, but the fire destroyed the Jaycees clubroom and all Flotilla records. There was a 1971 parade as planning was underway. Because the Jaycees were out of the picture the event was in limbo. There was no Flotilla Parade in 1972 or 1973. Ted Rogers revived the event with a new committee in 1974 and the even moved from Father's Day to the Fourth of July.

From 1961 through 1971 the commodores were called "Top Pops" which was changed in 1975 to Flotilla Commodores.

Originally the Flotilla started as a lake parade but grew to dances, races, and beauty pageants. The parade and road race are the only two remaining events.

Through the years, the committee has grown from as small as 12 members to as large as 30.

More information is available on like at www.wawaseeflotilla.com