Winter Wonderland At Dix Hills Ice Rink Gets Huge Turnout

DIX HILLS, NY — Children of all ages got to ice skate, sip hot chocolate and take pictures with Santa — all for free — at the Town of Huntington Winter Wonderland Free Ice Skating Event at Dix Hills Ice Rink this past Saturday. Roughly 1,500 people turned out to the successful event hosted by Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, according to a Town of Huntington press release.

Attendees were greeted at the Dix Hills Park facility with holiday lights, selfie stations and
decorations. Activities included free ice skating and free skate rentals, an Ugly Sweater Contest,
decorating holiday ornaments to take home for free and a contest guessing the number of
M&M’s in a jar. D&J Refreshments, the Town’s concessionaire, served free hot chocolate.

"He is making a list, and checking it twice, make sure you’re nice out there on the ice — it is my
great pleasure to introduce the man of the hour, Santa Claus is arriving on the Zamboni!" said Lupinacci as he introduced Santa Claus. "Enjoy the evening! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, happy holidays and Happy New Year everyone!"

Attendance was so high that all of the facility’s 675 pairs of skates were rented. Anticipating high
turnout, the Town had asked anyone who owned skates to bring their own, which they did, but
the skate rentals were rotating, so no one missed out on the fun.

"This event was a massive success; we have a great team at the Dix Hills Ice Rink, who built
most of the over-the-top decorations from scratch, and ice skating Santa was the biggest hit — I
look forward to bringing this event back next year," said Lupinacci according to a press release. "We may have to open up our second sheet of ice looking at the turnout!"

After the Stimson Middle School Teen Tones Chorus performed rink-side from a player box,
Lupinacci welcomed the crowd, and thanked fellow Town Board members Mark Cuthbertson, Eugene Cook, Joan Cergol and Ed Smyth for voting alongside him to hold the event. He also thanked Highway Superintendent Kevin S. Orelli for loaning his electronic roadside sign directing attendees to the event from Deer Park Avenue, and thanked the Huntington and South Huntington School Districts for participating in the program. Lupinacci welcomed Tax Receiver Jillian Guthman and Huntington School District Superintendent James Polansky, who attended the event.

Santa Claus was then welcomed to the ice, arriving on a Zamboni. He then skated around the rink followed by fans, leaving the ice to meet with kids of all ages for photos in the lobby, giving away plush toys before returning to the ice.

The crowd was later entertained by the Huntington High School Chorus in the lobby.

Lupinacci presented 9-year-old Jayden Matarazzo, who won the Ugly Sweater Contest, with a certified New York Rangers hockey stick signed by Chris Kreider, a set of New York Islanders bobbleheads, and an Ugly Sweater Contest Championship belt.

Lynn Murphy won the M&M contest with the closest guess of 377 M&M’s; there were 376 in the jar. As for prizes, she was awarded a certified New York Rangers hockey stick signed by Adam Fox,
a Captain America bobblehead from the New York Islanders, and the jar of M&M’s.

Lupinacci had encouraged attendees to bring new, unwrapped toys for underprivileged children, and the Toys for Tots donation bin at the Dix Hills Ice Rink had about 30 donations after the event.

New, unwrapped toys may still be dropped off in the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots donation boxes at the following Town facilities now through Friday, December 20:

• Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington
• Dix Hills Ice Rink, 575 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills
• Huntington Highway Department, 30 Rofay Drive, Huntington
• Town Senior Center, 423 Park Ave., Huntington

Donations can also be made at ToysForTots.org.

Photos

All photos courtesy Town of Huntington.